Today is the day when you can take a break and let your body wind down
After a long and dedicated week of working out and undertaking new challenges, you deserve a break.
So, pop in to Fitness First on Sunday for rest & relaxation day to join a tranquil yoga session, relax in the steam room, or unwind in the sauna.
Relaxation and rest days are important components of your weekly fitness routine because they enable you to benefit from the exercises.
Regularly engaging in relaxation techniques can help to relieve muscle tension, diminish anxiety, and increase wellbeing.
Relaxation techniques also decrease heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, metabolic rate, and oxygen consumption. By allotting time to relax, you can also experience increased wellbeing that leads to greater peace.
Consider these different relaxation methods to help you unwind:
Yoga
Combat stress and find your inner peace by engaging in yoga, which merges stretching exercises with controlled breathing and relaxation. Yoga intertwines the workings of the mind and body to help achieve greater relaxation. General yoga routines are comprised of poses and breathing techniques. Poses are created to enhance flexibility and strength, and controlled breathing is used to calm your mind and body. Yoga can also spark many health benefits, such as less stress, lower blood pressure, better heart function, improved mood, and enhanced fitness.
Steam rooms & Saunas
- Greater relaxation
- Looser muscles
- Weight loss
- Skin cleansing and detoxification
- Improved immunity
Overall, steam rooms and saunas trigger excessive sweating that helps your body rid itself of dead cells and bacteria. Due to the increased blood circulation that these rooms stimulate, bad toxins are purged and good nutrients are carried throughout your body.
When you’re not in the sauna or steam room, try some of these relaxation techniques that you can do anywhere—after you get home from your run, during your lunch break at the office, or following your workout at Fitness First:
Count your breaths: Close your eyes, breathe normally, and count every exhalation up to a specific number. Focus on the in-and-out flow of air. Restart at ‘one’ if you lose count.
Muscle tightening/relaxing: Focus on a specific muscle group. Tighten the muscle for 10 seconds and then slowly relax it. Take note of the difference between tightness and relaxation. Repeat multiple times and rotate muscle groups.
Mini holiday: Close your eyes and imagine your favourite peaceful place. Think of the various sights, sounds, and sensations. Focus on the details of this place and feel yourself calm down.
Palm/surface: Energetically rub your palms together and then place them on a flat surface. Allow your palms to slowly rise about six inches and then fall as though they are pressing down the air to reach the surface.
Now that you know the benefits of relaxation and a few techniques, you’ll always remember to take time to relax—no matter where your fitness routine takes you.
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