If you’re starting to really get in the zone of regular workouts, it’s easy to feel like rest days are a waste of time. Why would you want to interrupt your progress when you have so much energy and you’re enjoying your workouts? Isn’t more exercise better than less? Well, no, not necessarily. Too much of a good thing is still too much and, like all things in life, exercise requires balance. Taking time off is an important part of any exercise plan, and even the pros pencil rest time into their training schedules. Why is rest day so important? For one thing, when you take a rest day, you allow your body and mind some recovery time. This helps prevent you from burning out. Additionally, resting allows your body to adapt to the training so your next workout will be even more beneficial. Need some more reasons to take a rest day? We have five.
Rest days help build your strength. It may seem like you’re only making fitness gains when you’re working out, but muscle is repaired while you’re resting. Working out makes microscopic tears in the muscle tissues, but when you rest, your muscles begin to heal and grow stronger. This makes your future workouts easier and more effective.
Resting can prevent injury. When you push yourself too hard, you’re likely to sustain an injury, leading to forced time out. You’re at higher risk of injury when your body and mind are too tired to manage your form, and when you don’t allow yourself time to rest and repair, you’re at risk of overuse injuries like stress fractures and tendinopathies.
Your fitness progress will benefit from taking a rest day. When you train without resting, you may stop making progress or even lose the gains you’ve made. Too much exercise with too little rest can lead to burnout and negatively affect your health. Overtraining throws off your central nervous system, causing your body to be in a constant state of stress that will leave you feeling drained. Without a break you may struggle through your workouts, even if they felt good before.
Resting now will boost your next workout. When you take time off, your body and mind have a chance to recharge. Your muscles feel less sore, and you’ll be able to go for your next workout with renewed energy and vigor. Short breaks mean higher motivation and exercise won’t feel like a chore.
Rest days help keep your schedule flexible, which is great for building long-term habits. While working out every day may feel great at first, it’s not really sustainable in the long run. It’s hard to fit workouts into every single day of the week, but when you schedule in rest days, it allows you to fit in workouts where they fit comfortably into your life.
On the days you’re not resting, you need an energizing, supportive environment for your daily workouts. You’ll find that at the Wellbridge Family of Athletic Clubs, where we offer world-class fitness opportunities that keep up to date with the latest in health and wellness. At our clubs, you’ll be greeted by our friendly team before you’re challenged and motivated by top-notch instructors in our fitness classes. You’ll make new friends because you belong here. Join today or contact us to learn more.