3 thoughts on why rest days are important
It is great! You have embarked on your fitness journey. You are sticking to an exercise routine, and your meals are consistently getting better and fresher. But you still cannot find the triumphant feeling you have been waiting for with improving your life.
One easy answer might be you have been neglecting rest. It may sound counterintuitive, but not giving yourself adequate downtime might be the culprit in you not getting the outcome you desire. In this post, I want to talk more about why rest days are important and how you can rest properly.
Summary
Which stress am I recovering from?
You might be familiar with psychological stress. That feeling you get when you are overwhelmed with emotions, anxiety, or worries. Small doses of this kind of stress are normal and expected. After all, we all have to deal with that one difficult client at work or an important exam that could define our life in the next few years.
On the other hand, exercise is also another type of stress. The body experiences physiological stress when you work out. Your muscles get micro-tears when you exercise, it is partly a reason the soreness kicks in when you start working out again. As you might guess by now, too much physiological stress would not do you any good.
Why rest days are important: Your body needs time to repair
Like I mentioned above, every time you exercise, your muscles get micro-tears. These tearings are microscopically small and cannot be seen by our naked eyes. Do not be afraid. These tears are necessary for the muscles. Micro-tears facilitate the movement of surrounding satellite cells to turn into muscle cells, thus making your muscles stronger and possibly increase in size.
Repeatedly working on these muscles blindingly for days after days will not let the repairing process happen, or at least dramatically slowing down the process. You will never be able to do more exercises for better results. Allow at least 48 hours of rest for your muscles to get a chance to do its magic.
Why rest days are important: You avoid overtraining
Overtraining may be the newest problem yet on your plate. It is that lingering lethargic feeling you have throughout the day when you exercise excessively. Your performance is not as good as it once was at the beginning.
Overtraining does not inspire positivity. Not only your body feels terrible, but your mood is also horrible as well. All the extra work you have put in will not become fruitful or produce any of the much needed daily positivity.
Why rest days are important: Your risk of injuries decreases significantly
Exercising puts your body through an immense amount of physiological stress. One good night’s sleep does not make up for 2-hour hardcore workout days after days. The recurring pain is the way your body communicates to you: “I have had enough!”
If you continue to ignore the sign, sooner or later, something will eventually snap. And nobody wants that. You are no longer able to do your favorite workouts or make your mood sourer. You might also be starting at square one after the effects of the injuries.
How much should I be resting?
Now, do not stress out about not relaxing enough. §(*￣▽￣*)§ You should have at least one day of resting every week. And that is it!
Just be lazy for 1 day. Use the extra time to focus on the other parts of your life. Get prepared for the upcoming week. Play that game you have been putting off due to the noble cause of being active. If you have to exercise every day, still no problem. Your workout should not be highly intensive or make you breathe hard. Yoga and stretching programs are perfect for your rest days.
Now you know about rest days and their importance. (✿◠‿◠) Go out there and be lazy! Do not overdo it, though. Get the balanced life you have always wanted.
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