One of the lessons I’ve learned that I’d like to share is the importance of listening to your body. Now, I’m not including the mind in that for now because sometimes your mind can deceive you. However, your body will often gives you clues as to its current state of health, which can give you the feedback you need in order to change your habits/approach for the better.
Case in point: I’ve been writing about my experience with the CERT drill and how sore I’ve been. Today I am still very sore. Under normal circumstances I would have exercised today. But, my body is telling me that I need to rest to allow it to rebuild my strained muscles. So I have decided to take today as one of my rest days rather than Wednesday as I usually do.
Another important signal your body will give you is that of hunger. Many times we eat when our body is not even hungry. We will eat out of boredom, anger, depression, fatigue, or just because the food is there. Little wonder that we sometimes end up being two or three times as large as the size we were meant to be!
I challenge you today to start paying attention to your body. Is it stiff and sore? Perhaps yours might be telling you that you need to add some flexibility exercises to your routine to loosen things up. Are you having difficulty carrying your grocery bags? Then maybe you need to add some strength training to your routine. Do you feel tired and worn out? Then, perhaps your body is telling you that you need to rest and slow down.
Your body is trying to get your attention. Are you listening?