For athletes the thought of taking an exercise break can fill them with anxiety & fear.  It’s easy to understand.  All that work, all those fitness gains, all those improvements seem to just disappear after a few workout-free days.  Then, when you do start working out again, you feel lethargic, slow & out-of-shape.  No fun at all!

As a coach, I require my athletes to take 4 weeks off at the end of every season.  For the 1st 2 weeks, I encourage them to do absolutely nothing in terms of workouts – no swims, no bikes, no runs.  For the 2nd 2 weeks, I suggest they do “activity” stuff like taking a walk, playing outside with the kid, taking the dog for a short run, biking to dinner.  You get the idea…nothing structured, nothing hard…just light, easy, fun stuff!

Those 4 weeks are often the hardest part of their training.  And yes, I consider it “training” time.  The first question they all ask is “What will I do with all my time?”  For folks who are used to having their time managed, scheduled & structured, the question of what to do with available time is an excellent one.

I recently took a 4-week exercise break myself – part planned, part unplanned.  The 1st 2 weeks were easy – I went on a trip to Egypt & didn’t give one thought to exercising (for more explanation on this, read my post on “Whatever You’re Doing…Go ALL IN”).  The 2nd 2 weeks, however, were much more challenging.  I got sick…I got COVID-sick.

Although I primarily had head cold symptoms (with a brief fever), I know better than to push my body when it’s not ready.  And my OURA ring stats backed up the fact that I needed rest way more than exercise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I particularly paid attention to:

• Readiness Score:  This number is usually in low to mid 80’s
• Resting Heart Rate:  My average is in high 30’s to low 40’s
• Body Temperature:  I’ve NEVER seen a number this high!  Normally my range is between -0.5 to +0.5.
• Respiratory Rate:  My usual is 12.1 to 12.8 / min.
• Heart Rate Variability:  This number usually sits in the high 70’s (higher is better).

With recovery numbers like these AND the fact that I didn’t feel 100%, I knew I needed downtime.  So, I rested…and rested…and rested some more.  And I asked myself the same question that my athletes ask me:  What do I do with all my time?

As I mentioned above, I consider exercise breaks to be TRAINING TIME.  The key is to think of the break as “training” rather than simply “wasted” because you’re not exercising.  Once you make that mental shift then all sorts of opportunities appear.  Here’s what I did during my exercise break training time:

1. I Thought & Pondered:  This is perhaps the most important piece.  Too often we go on autopilot from one thing to the next.  We do things out of habit rather than intention.  This huge break in my routine gave me the chance to think through what I like &, more importantly, what I don’t like about my weekly schedule.  Once I identified the things I don’t like…the next step is to adjust!
2. Reprioritize:  With a little bit of time to step back from my weekly routine, I was able to take a closer look at my priorities.  It’s pretty simple – what we spend time on is what we have prioritized.  Once I identified the things I do & how much time they take, I could either validate or adjust my priorities.
3. Restructured My Work Week:  One thing I realized is that I’ve become lazy with my time.  I’ve been taking too much time with certain things (scrolling through social media) which then leaves not enough time for things that really matter (like mtn biking new trails!).  It’s time to get back to time blocking (for more info on this concept, watch my Live) for more efficient time-management!
4. Read More:  There’s NEVER enough time for reading…so this was the perfect chance to read, read & read some more.  The added benefit of reading is that your thought processes are expanded & stretched into new & different areas.  And that can only be a good thing!

Finally, the best thing about an exercise break is that, when it’s over, you’re 200% ready to get going again!  I can vouch for that as this week’s workouts have been A-MA-ZING!  I’m super energized, very excited & all-in on my new schedule!  And truthfully, we all know that the benefits are so much greater when you’re excited about what you’re doing.

So get out there, folks, & take an exercise break!