Zzzzz…

sleepI know I’ve talked about nutrition a lot lately, but there’s something else that is just as important that needs to be addressed…sleep!  Sleep is usually the thing that gets ignored on our to-do lists first, because we tend to think it’s pretty flexible.  Well, it’s not, and we need to add it back on our list of important things.  We must rest our active muscles so they can recover, heal, and grow.  Sleep is essential, and here are some reasons why:

1- Memory and learning: Sleep helps commit new information to memory, and studies show that people who sleep after learning a new task remember it better later.

2- Metabolism and weight: Sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by altering the way we store and use carbohydrates, and by altering hormones that affect our appetite.

3- Mood: We’ve all felt cranky, impatient, and unable to concentrate from being overly tired before.

4- Cardiovascular health: Sleep deprivation has been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.

5- Disease: Sleep deprivation causes altered immune system function.

So sleep!  But come workout first.

26 November 2013

Teams of 2:  As fast as you can with proper form; remember: intensity!

100 ball slams

25 burpees to plate

100 weighted overhead lunges

25 burpees to plate

100 single unders each