Not enough attention is paid to coming down after a workout.  There are lots of things we do to wake up and arouse our central nervous system but not enough on how to come down.  We have limited abilities to stay in an excited state which should be respected.  Time and time again people have learned that there is no way to get around this without consequences.  The truth is many people don’t know how to relax.  Sitting in front of a tv or computer screen is still quite stimulating.  The idea of relaxing with your thoughts seems to be a lost art.  People get into a cycle of drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverage to wake up and drinking alcohol to come down.  They stress the body constantly throwing drugs into it and then wonder why they seem to NEED caffeine to wake up.  It is a difficult cycle to break.  If you get at least decent sleep you shouldn’t NEED a pre workout.  They certainly can help but if you are taking them before every workout you may have more problems than you realize.

One of the reasons massage helps athletes isn’t just because your muscles are being massaged but because of the calming effect and atmosphere.  It is one of the few times people will listen to calming music and just let their mind go.  In world we live today this is more important than ever.  It is ok to do nothing.  No phone, no tv, no computer, just you and that mess you call a brain.  If nothing is too much for you, then get a massage, try yoga, listen to calm music, write in a journal anything you can think of that will allow you to relax.  This is a way to be fair to your system.  If you want it to be super awake, then you need to let it be super calm.  You can only push so hard for so long before you crash.  The most successful people have found ways to have balance.  Professional athletes sometimes have multiple training sessions per day but they also take a lot of rest and naps.  The body can do amazing things if you know how to let it.  Don’t complain about your lack of progress if you are going a hundred miles per hour at all times.  Give something to your body so it can give something back to you.