Why Rest Days Are Actually Very Important
You know you’re hooked when taking a rest day takes more discipline than working out
Tell me how many times on off days it has come to your mind that you want to go to the gym and do training instead of just sitting around the whole day on the couch? — probably on every rest day. Some people really do believe that more is always good, but this theory is not suited in the case of exercising.
Whether you are exercising for endurance or simply trying to maintain a healthy body weight throughout the year, it is important to do the right amount of training for your particular goal.
Exercise is a physical workload that is imposed upon the body; the type and amount of activity you do determine the need for rest days for the body.
Reasons to take rest days
To bring in the best effect from exercises, the type of exercise and the amount of intensity someone put counts. Exercise creates stress on the muscle and during recovery days the body repairs those muscles allowing them to develop over time.
Our body needs sufficient time to refuel, specifically during intense training days; this is why it will be effective to combine them with low intense training days. Structuring workouts as high, moderate, and low intensity help your muscles to give enough rest.
Few individuals believe taking an off day or not going to the gym are signs of laziness which is simply not right. Being physically active is excellent but taking rest is equally important for the body.
Here are a few benefits of taking off days,
- A full day of rest allows the body to repair the tissues that are being damaged throughout the week.
- If you are feeling sore due to intense training, taking off the next day can help cure that soreness.
- Taking a rest day helps in slowing down all the intensity, the body has been through all over the week.
- A rest day gives an extra time which allows you to do something different and make the day look different from other ones.
- Off days could be a great opportunity to take a break from caffeine.
Signs you need a rest day
Here are some signs that can mean the body needs to take a rest day.
- Constant muscle pain or soreness.
- Feeling sluggish following a workout.
- Injury.
- Feeling burned out for so many days.
- Getting too much addicted to exercise or gym.
- Decrease in fat loss or muscle growth rate.
What happens if a person does not take off days
As exercise puts so much strain on the body, doing it daily without taking proper rest can negatively affect both body and mind.
Going intense every single day is not possible for everyone. The body will lose its optimal ability to perform.
Training muscles, tendons, and ligaments create a constant tenderness in the body and the joints. Not taking enough rest days makes the body more prone to injuries.
Sleep can also be affected due to overdoing exercise, which is a sign of an overstressed body. Taking off days helps decrease those stress from the body.
So does that mean rest days are necessary?
No, it is not; you can train 7 days a week and not see any signs that I mentioned above. Taking off days depending on feeling like taking one or not, is totally individualized.
If you see any of the symptoms of not taking rest days or really getting bored of training then you should take one.
So that is all for this blog.
You can clap if you found it helpful, also share with friends who really need to take a rest day.
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