It's okay to rest.

"Run it out!"
"Clap it out!"

These are things I hear myself yelling when I teach REFIT®, especially after a very high intensity part.  Yet, that whole "live what I preach" is hard.

This past week, I had a fantastic time that was spent solely for ME.  I don't do that often, because I much prefer serving others and taking care of things.  Well, this past weekend, I had a blast attending a REFIT® function out of town, spending the entire day with friends, then a Super Bowl get together with family.  It.  Was. Fun.

And then Monday came.  You got it.  Everyone's favorite day of the week, right?  Monday hit me with sickness.  My body was screaming at me to rest.  Even one of my mentors (I don't think she even knows I consider her a mentor) told me to show down and rest.  I took the day off work.

I listened to my mentor, right? Nope.  Not this overachiever.  From my sick-bed, I did work for school, folded laundry, and spent the day marketing and making plans for the future of REFIT with Julie.

Is that bad?  I'd like to say no because I felt accomplished.  But, I also felt drained.  On a day that I was suppose to feel refreshed and rested, I felt drained!  Insert sigh here.  Insert that feeling of "Oh Julie, do you ever listen?"

Well guess what?  It's okay to rest.  There I said it.  I, personally, hope I'm listening to myself.

In the bible, Luke tells of a time when Jesus went to visit the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha.  Martha was busy being a host, cleaning house, cooking, waiting on Jesus.  Mary simply sat at the feet of Jesus and listened.  I mean, it was Jesus after all, right?  Who was in the right here?  You know it...it was Mary.

So, in our lives and even in our fitness journeys, it is okay to rest.  I might yell, "Run it out".  You might "rest and repeat" or "walk it out".  All are okay and perfectly healthy in taking care of our physical bodies.

So, I challenge you.  I challenge myself.  When we want to push our bodies to the limits, when we want that high intensity workout, I challenge us to remember this: rest is good too.