SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP!
How many of us get enough sleep? After the rigours of the day - especially those that result from your training - do we actually allow ourselves to recover? You do all the right things - eat a balanced diet during the day, maintain a high level of hydration, complete your training, eat a healthy meal *soon after* completion (which gets nutrients into the body while they are calling loudly for them). But then when it's time for the vital nutrients, vitamins and proteins to be put to work, we as individuals fail us by not sleeping for long enough or well enough. It's when we go to sleep that our body does its recovering, that our nervous system makes the necessary changes to the rest of the body according to the various stresses we've put it under - including exercise! If we don't sleep well or enough, we rob ourselves of the opportunity to reap what we sow, meaning that we cannot realise the gains we deserve as a result of our hard work. The right amount of sleep is critical, and it's different for everybody. But we all know when we haven't had enough (we're grumpy as anything the next day, for starters). Make sure you get to bed early enough for a full night's sleep. It's not just your physical self that will benefit, you will be mentally sharper as well. Concentration will last longer, and your thoughts will be clearer. So remember - no distractions, eat early in the evening, give yourself enough time and RELAX!