Many people are skeptical about taking rest days. Some people worry they will lose momentum or slow down their progress, but if done correctly, that is not the case. There are many benefits to rest days including getting stronger and reaching your goals more quickly.
Rest days should be scheduled each week and you can plan an activity that will help you reach your goal to keep your momentum going. The benefits of rest days are endless, so you should embrace them!
This article is all about the benefits of rest days and how to get the most out of them!
Benefits of Rest Days
Rest days are important for someone just getting into exercise, experienced athletes, and everyone in between. It will look different for everyone depending on your goals and experience level, but you should not be pushing yourself to the limit every day.
Continue reading to learn the best ways to take a rest day as well as more information on the following benefits of rest days:
1. Get stronger
2. Avoid injuries
3. Train harder
4. Gain confidence in your workouts
5. Create a lifestyle
Some people prefer an active rest day where they keep their body moving but with less intensity. Others like to give their body some time to simply recover. If that’s the case for you, there are some recommendations for keeping your mind focused on your goal.
Many people have a specific time that they exercise each day. After a while, this becomes a habit that you don’t want to break. To keep the habit even on a rest day, you can use the time you typically have set aside for exercise to do one of the following activities:
- Swimming
- Walking
- Yoga
- Light sports
- Playing with your kids
- Foam rolling/stretching
- Meditating
- Journaling
Rest days have many different benefits depending on how you choose to spend them. This article has more ideas on active recovery to do on your rest days. Below are 5 common benefits of rest days!
1. Get stronger
When you workout, you are actually breaking down your muscles. It is during your recovery that you allow those muscles to repair and grow. Take a look at this article for more detailed information on this process of muscle building.
2. Avoid injuries
Constantly pushing your body without allowing it to recover will lead to injuries. It is important to allow your body to repair its muscles otherwise, it may cause injury.
In addition, if you are constantly pushing to your limit, you will likely start getting sloppy with your movements. This leads to bad form and unfortunately, injury.
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3. Train harder
It might seem counterintuitive, but taking rest days will actually help you train harder. When your body has time to rest and recover, you will be able to give each workout your all and actually train harder. Without breaks, you will be running on fumes just trying to get through the workout. Take a look at this article for more information on the science behind rest days!
4. Gain confidence in your workouts
As previously mentioned, you will be able to push harder during your workouts. By doing this, you will likely reach goals and feel more accomplished.
5. Create a lifestyle
By allowing yourself to take rest breaks, you create a more sustainable workout plan. Constantly pushing day after day is going to be almost impossible to sustain, so it is important to allow yourself the flexibility of taking time off.
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Bonus: Make the most of your rest days!
Nutrition on rest days
Just because you’re not getting in a structured workout on this day doesn’t mean you should completely change your eating habits. Be sure you’re still getting enough nutrients to fuel your body.
Your body is working to repair and build muscles even on rest days so nutrients are essential. Pay attention to your hunger cues and make sure you’re staying hydrated.
How often should you take rest days?
It depends on the workouts you’re doing and what your body is used to. For example, if you are just getting into working out, you may need more rest days. In addition, if you have been working out for a while, but recently increased the intensity of your training, you may need more rest days.
The most important thing you should do is listen to your body. Pay attention to how you’re feeling and don’t be afraid to give yourself a break. It is important, however, to know the difference between feeling unmotivated, your body needing a break, and something being wrong. If you are simply feeling unmotivated or maybe discouraged, this is the most important time to ensure that you stick to your goals. Sticking to your plan during these challenging times is when you truly start to see progress and breakthroughs.
It is very important to understand that if you are experiencing pain beyond normal soreness, you should see your doctor. It is possible that you have experienced an injury and it is important to seek a professional diagnosis.
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Planning rest days
When planning your week, you should plan in rest days instead of simply deciding that day if you want to exercise. Having a plan keeps you accountable. If you are facing a challenge with your recovery and require an additional rest day, you should take what your body needs. Before taking a full rest day, consider a less intense alternative.
If you feel like you are requiring more rest days than planned, consider the reason for this. Maybe your workouts are too intense. Maybe you’re not planning for enough rest days in the first place. Maybe you’re not getting enough sleep. Maybe you’re not fueling properly. There are many different reasons that could be causing you to need more rest days.
Remember, your body is probably trying to tell you something, so be sure to listen.
How can a woman’s menstrual cycle affect rest days?
Women will feel different during different phases of their menstrual cycle. Some days, this will cause you to feel as though you’ve gone backward. For me, this has caused some easy runs to feel more difficult than normal. I have also noticed weights feeling far heavier than normal during certain phases of my menstrual cycle.
During these times, you should avoid skipping your workout altogether. Doing this will ruin your momentum and may cause you to miss additional workouts in the future because you’ve broken the habit.
If your workout is feeling especially challenging, consider adapting your workout. Maybe instead of lifting heavy weights, you change your workout to yoga. If you had a speed run planned, maybe you do a slow run/walk instead. Changing these out for a less intense alternative will help you give your body what it needs that day while keeping the habit and promise to yourself.
I hope you are able to incorporate rest days more effectively into your workout plan! Thank you for reading and please reach out to ourteam@wellroundedyou.com with any comments or questions.
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