The idea of rest as an essential part of fitness makes perfect sense since muscles "damaged" in exercise are rebuilt and strengthened during the self-repair of sleep.

However, our culture seems to ignore that completely.  

America is open 24/7 with no down time.  We have halogen street lights, late-night t.v., and C shifts.  We have Day Timers with blanks for every nanosecond of the day.  

We have ads on t.v. for various machines, videos, and drinks that promise to **effortlessly** provide us health, but they are presented in a way that implies the fittest among us are always in motion, **always** down on the floor with our Torso Tiger.  

We are made to feel guilty if, in our "spare" time, we are not mowing the lawn, fixing the car, planting hydrangeas, doing laundry, cruising Walmart for a new grill/computer/widget, scanning the paper for a movie (invariably full of adrenaline pumping hysteria).

Working hard and well and then enjoying a quiet and refreshing break (including actual sleep)--a nice but alien concept for many people.

I have a friend who rows as a hobby and works out to stay in shape for that.  Last week, he announced, "I'm tired . . . I was here at work till 2 a.m. two days ago; yesterday, I missed my workout; this morning, I did yesterday's and today's workout, and I swam at lunch."

I understand some people are born wanting to get up and do stuff, but I expect my friend to collapse and die any day . . . and then go swimming at lunch.

Edith

>>> [log in to unmask] 07/03/01 11:13PM >>>

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Another aspect of the paleo life-way is the enormous amounts of rest which HG's had.  Essentially very hard work and LOTS of rest. Most modern periodized training for elite athletes follows patterns similar to this.

Robert

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