5. Get enough sleep

Nothing messes up your system more than not getting enough shut-eye. One of the symptoms of over-training is having a hard time falling asleep and/or insomnia which can start a vicious cycle of over-exercising and under-resting.

I am by no means the expert on this and I’m certainly not perfect – if you’ve read this blog for more than 5 minutes you know how hard I’ve struggled with my propensity to workout too much and too hard. But this is why I’m writing about it. I rest now. (Usually. I still have crazy moments) And it’s made a huge difference. Exercise is all about balance and finding the right balance will take constant tweaking and adjusting but once you learn to embrace the rest day as not just an “off day” but a “productive-in-a-behind-the-scenes-way” day it’s a lot easier to do that.

What’s your philosophy about rest days? Do you have any tips to add to my list? What happens to you after you eat beets?!

*If you get random episodes of urinating red after eating beets it’s called beeturia and is actually an indication your iron levels are too low! So next time you pee pink it might be worth calling your doc to get a finger prick. Or just a great reason to eat a grass-fed-and-finished fatty steak!