When you’re in the zone and smashing all your workouts, it can be tempting to exercise non-stop. After all, you’re feeling great and exercise is good – so more must be better, right?
Well, not necessarily. When it comes to working out, more isn’t always better, and taking the time to rest and recover is just as important as pushing hard when you’re at it. Let’s look at the many advantages of ensuring that your exercise routine includes rest days.
Recovery & muscle growth
Rest days are far from wasted time. If you’ve been working out consistently, your rest days will actually help with muscle growth. When you exercise, tiny tears appear in your muscle tissue. This is completely normal, and resting up allows your body to repair the tears, stimulating growth and stronger muscles.
Your body will also have the opportunity to replenish its energy supplies, which you can use to push even harder during your next training session.
Reduced fatigue
Naturally, working out makes you tired. But it does more than that – your muscles store energy called glycogen, which gets depleted during exercise. During rest days, your body will also have the opportunity to replenish its energy supplies, which you can use to push even harder during your next training session.
Reduced risk of injury
If you push your body too hard, there are a few ways in which you could injure yourself. Firstly, if your energy levels are drained, you’re more likely to make mistakes, such as bad form, dropping weights or taking a clumsy step that sprains a joint or muscle.
Secondly, overworking your body leads to repetitive stress and strain. While you might think you’re making extra time by working out non-stop, a serious injury will lead to much more downtime.
Improved performance
If you’re doing your routine every single day, you’re less likely to push yourself harder when you’re training – and if you do, it may lead to injuries. Taking regular rest days allows you to give each exercise session your all, with increased energy levels and strong, healthy muscles.
Better sleep
It’s no secret that regular exercise leads to better sleep – but too much exercise can have the opposite effect.
Here’s how: Exercise boosts the production of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, letting you burn them off while you’re training. However, if you train too much, your body will produce too much of these hormones, leading to poor sleep quality, exhaustion and fatigue.
Depending on your exercise routine and its intensity, your rest schedule will change. Each person’s fitness journey is different and demands its own individualised approach, so do what feels right for you. If you find yourself getting injured or experiencing muscle fatigue, try taking more rest days to see if that helps. If you’re doing weight training, you can also alternate which muscle groups you workout, giving those groups a chance to heal while you focus on another part of the body.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your fitness journey, browse our wide range of fitness solutions, or get in touch with us today for expert advice and guidance.
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