Bodyism founder James Duigan shares his top tips for staying fit and focused in between your workouts
The devil finds work for idle hands. Or more specifically, cookies, so the temptation to turn our rest days into cheat days can sometimes become too much to handle (trust us, we’ve all been there). But, are there ways that we can make the most of our rest days to give our bodies a much-needed break while also maximising our workouts too?
We asked fitness expert James Duigan , bestselling author and founder of Bodyism for his top rest day tips for making sure we don’t throw away all our hard work on our days off. From Clean and Lean diet suggestions to some great body-buffing tips, this is must-read fitness material for keeping you focused and fit in between trips to the gym.
TIP 1: PACK (LEAN) MEAT
“Wake up and have a protein rich, nutrient-packed breakfast - make an omelette with lean white meat or fish, with fresh spinach, kale, tomatoes, chives all chopped up and mixed in.
“Serve on a bed of fresh raw greens like spinach and rocket and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle this with a mixture of seeds like sunflower, flax, linseed and pumpkin.”
MORE GLOSS: James and Christiane Duigan's Week In Food
TIP 2: SUPER GREENS TO THE RESCUE
“It's important to feed your body, especially the muscles you've probably trained hard, with protein. However, also oxygenating them helps the blood flow and can help increase muscle quality and health, (providing more strength and better tone).
“The best way to do this is with blue-green algae in a super greens shake like our Beauty Food supplement , £55. Blend this with water and a squeeze of fresh lime juice and add some ground flaxseed for added omega-3 value.”
TIP 3: TURN ON THE WATER WORKS
“Stay really well hydrated on your rest day too - sometimes when we are not training and sweating we forget to stay as well hydrated.
“Keep a bottle of filtered water with you. Also a couple of cups of green tea, which is great for the body but can also assist in flushing out toxins which can show in DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).”
TIP 4: BODY BRUSH UP YOUR SKILLS
“Body brush your whole body from toes to your collarbones. Take more time on this today - focus on the areas you may feel you have trained hard previously and take long sweeping strokes.
“While you're doing this, run a bath and soak with some Epsom salts to help flush out toxins and soothe your body. After your bath, moisturise with a natural lotion like organic raw coconut oil to boost moisture levels and really care for your skin without any toxins.”
MORE GLOSS: 10 bath time treats to calm both body and mind
TIP 5: WHITTLE DOWN YOUR WORKOUTS
“Rest....take it literally but don't become a couch potato. Remember we should all be active for at least 20 minutes every day but it should be gentle and not exerting too much effort - like a stroll around the shops.
“Take the chance to get an early night too - getting to bed for as many hours before midnight as possible can help you feel so much more refreshed, energised and rested.”
Find out more about the Clean & Lean Diet from the Clean & Lean Book, £12.99. Available to buy online from uk.spacenk.com .