The Little Things
October 26, 2011

I used to be flexible. Doing the splits? No problem. Now? It’s a BIG problem. The more I run, the more stiff I get, and I’m not a big fan. Because of the various health issues I have, I am choosing to only run 2-3 days a week. I walk anywhere from 1-3 times a week, but that’s not high impact. On my rest days, I’ve decided to add a healthy stretching practice.

I always foam roll after I run. I think it’s crucial to not only avoid injury, but to avoid that pesky IT pain that creeps up ever so quickly. I can tell a huge difference if I’ve foam rolled the day after a run, and definitely feel a much stronger pain in my legs when i don’t foam roll. Stretching is important, whether we are exercising or not. As we age, stretching is a healthy practice for each of us. I try to do this 10-15 minutes a day 4-5 days a week. It’s really easy to do while watching TV (I love multi-tasking!).

Back when I danced regularly, I was required by my dance teacher to do a certain number of planks every week. Once I stopped dancing, I lost the ability to easily do these. I’m taking back my ability to do these, and am adding a plank to my normal day. I still haven’t decided how many to do/when to do it, but I hope to have that figured out by the start of November- it’s my challenge to myself in November!

Now it’s your turn: What do you think of foam rolling? Do you do it/Feel like you should but forget/don’t do it? What do you think of doing planks? Do you find them helpful?

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6 responses to “On My “Rest Days””

  1. Catalina says:
    October 26, 2011 at 10:00 pm

    I’m embarrassed to admit that I can only run 4 city blocks at one time. One day. One day…

    • Caroline says:
      October 26, 2011 at 10:03 pm

      That’s how I started off too. I ran half a mile and collapsed into someone’s yard because I was starting to pass out. There are a lot of great “run/walk” programs out there that help you slowly build up your strength and endurance!

  2. Jessica @FoundtheMarbles says:
    October 26, 2011 at 10:00 pm

    It’s so important to protect yourself from injury so you can continue with your workouts as planned. Good for you!

  3. Diane says:
    October 26, 2011 at 10:17 pm

    Um…what is foam roll? Maybe I need to exercise more so that I could try the foam roll an experience its benefits :/ #commenthour

  4. Cara @ EAT.PRAY.RUN. says:
    October 31, 2011 at 1:24 am

    I use the foam roller every. single. day. Before bed to be exact. I think it has saved me from SO many injuries and really helps work out the ‘kinks’! Just do it 😉