There is a differences between a rest and recovery week and an eventful unbalanced week away

I’m not entirely certain if it’s just the fact that I can’t remember that’s made me more aware of the differences or perhaps it’s due to having aged a few years since my last proper trip away. Truthfully, these kinds of trips are becoming increasingly rare for me, making it challenging to draw comparisons. However, this recent experience highlighted a distinctive contrast between a regular rest week off and a proper week away.

Typically, when I travel, I try to maintain a semblance of balance. I aim for reasonably healthy eating or at least ensuring I intake enough calories and nutrients. I also make an effort to find a gym for some form of training at least three times a week. It’s not my usual intense regimen, but I make the most of the time available. Exercising during a holiday is something I genuinely enjoy even more than I enjoy it in general.

In fact, I can’t recall a time when I completely neglected my training, physical activity, and balanced nutrition while away. However, this trip was an exception. The physical toll felt notably different. I embarked on an international trip and decided to just allow it to be. It was a condensed trip filled with events and activities centered around being with family and seeing old friends.

Don’t get me wrong; it was an incredible trip, and I’m thrilled I took it. Much of my family lives in a different country, so our gatherings are infrequent, mainly reserved for special occasions. As for my old friends, it had been about five years or longer since I last saw them, almost since I moved back to the UK.

Regular rest and recovery breaks are crucial for fitness, training, and overall health, so I try to include them every so often, despite finding it challenging at times. But these breaks still have structure and typically involve maintaining a regular diet and engaging in low-intensity physical activities like walking. This way, when I return to the gym, my body has had ample time to recuperate and feels less fatigued. However, with this kind of break a few things stood out to me this time.

First, it’s the long flight on which you are basically sat in the same position for hours, with very little movement. The day itself feels disjointed, with time spent traveling to and waiting at the airport. Maintaining regular meal times or any sort of schedule becomes difficult. Personally, I avoid eating much before a flight as it tends to make the journey uncomfortable for me.

During the flight, I’d consume almost anything offered to compensate for the lack of pre-flight eating and to try to consume enough calories for the day as a whole. While I could have packed my own food, I prefer not to lug around extra items. So I’ll devour all the snacks, chocolates, puddings, and even enjoy a few glasses of wine – because why not.

Then comes the jarring time difference. By the time you go to sleep, it’s essentially the time your body is used to waking up. Consequently, your sleep is brief because these aren’t your usual sleeping hours. Additionally, you want to wake up early or at a normal hour so you can be present and to make the most of your trip; sleeping through it feels like a waste.

Once you’re up, you have a breakfast that feels more like dinner due to your body’s skewed internal clock. You manage a bit of work before meeting the people you’ve traveled all this way to see. There’s no time for meal prep, and the available food tends to be carb-heavy. So instead of your usual nutritious meals, you end up snacking, making a sandwich, or sometimes barely eating until dinner.

The food is good, and carbs are undeniably some of the more enjoyable things on this planet. Pizza, pasta, and bread-based meals are the norm, and you try to add in some protein whenever possible. However, your protein intake suffers, and your primary calorie source becomes carbs, if you even manage to consume enough daily calories at all.

Gym sessions aren’t part of the itinerary because the nearest gym is some distance away, and your schedule is packed. Understandably, you’re there to spend time with loved ones, so you sacrifice the gym for a few days. You resort to a few light exercises and calisthenics to feel good and keep your blood flowing, but it’s not quite as effective as your usual routine. However, none of this is a catastrophe; it’s all part of an enjoyable experience.

This is all vital because life is essential. Spending time with family and friends and embracing life’s moments are crucial. Taking time away from the usual routine holds its own significance. Some questioned why I booked such a short trip for such a long journey. To be honest, I anticipated this and value my fitness routine and regular meals. I knew it’d be a whirlwind of family events, celebrations, and catching up with old friends.

If there were fewer commitments or if I didn’t actually need a break from the gym anyway, I would’ve ensured access to a gym and maintained a better calorie intake and sleep schedule. But this trip held its own value and importance, just as I needed and wanted it to be, so I deliberately kept it short.

The real impact and difference hit me when I returned to the gym bright and early on my first morning back. I felt it. It wasn’t like the usual rest week or recovery; it felt remarkably different. Yet, I wouldn’t change a thing.

The truth is, I seldom embark on trips where I let everything go completely. I usually maintain some form of structure or healthy balance. Yet, once in a while, a trip like this holds tremendous significance. And if I’m being honest, after just a week back, I’m confident I’ll be right back to my best.