After sharing part 1 of my series on the Red-Yellow-Green Zones of exercise, I hope you’ve taken steps to get out of the Red zone and away from movements that deplete, rather than enhance, your health.
This time, I want to share some things to look out for in the Yellow zone, again based on the chart in my book How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy.
Knowing when you’re in the Yellow zone is so important because you made some headway and you feel better, BUT your symptom profile may be worsening.
How does that happen? For some people who have taken these steps and already feel better, there’s a tendency to backslide and overdo it or even reach for artificial stimulants to help you perform.
You ALWAYS have to be aware of which direction you’re heading which requires you to focus on tracking the trends based on your scores on whatever basis you choose, ranging from a monthly status report to doing it after each workout.
In my video, I share five tips that will help you move out of the Yellow zone and back to the Green zone where you want to be. To get your juices flowing before you watch my video, here’s three things you’ll want to do today…
1. A lot of athletes get in trouble confusing their wants with their needs. Usually, people focus too much on their wants at the expense of overtraining and lots of syndromes (leaky gut and chronic fatigue are two of them).
2. Monitor your readiness and motivation. You should be excited at least a 7 out of 10 level to do something a little more vigorous than you did in the Red Zone.
3. Be wiser about what stresses you and modify your exercise accordingly. Use undulating periods of lower and higher stress in your exercise to pay attention to how you’re responding.
Love and chi,
Paul