Why You Need Rest Days
By Sara Butler
When you're working your workout program to its fullest, you feel in the groove. Perhaps so in the groove that working in a rest day seems like an impossible feat. While you're to be commended on your motivation to be healthy through exercise, if you want to stay healthy and treat your body right, then a rest day is non-negotiable. Here are a few of the reasons why you should always honor your rest days as a vital part of your exercise regimen.
You Need It
The first thing to note about rest days is that they're something your body needs. When you have periods of rest between intense workouts, then your body is able to repair and to grow new muscle in the process -- a process that can take anywhere from one to three days for your body to do, depending on how intense and frequent your workouts are. That's why you should take time off between your workouts to allow your body to do what it needs. You don't have to be sedentary, but you should endeavor to ratchet down the intensity.
It Makes You Stronger
When you take rest days as often as you should, then it allows you to keep moving forward with your exercise goals. Sometimes you can hit a plateau or become so fatigued that you stop working out as you want to. Those are both symptoms that you need to take a step back and allow your body to recover between exercise sessions. If you can do that, then progress will continue and you'll keep getting stronger.
It Keeps You Healthy
One of your main goals on your exercise journey is to avoid injuries and rest days help you to accomplish that. While it is true that exercise helps to make your muscles and bones stronger to help you avoid injury, not allowing your body to rest between workouts can put stress and strain on your body that creates a perfect storm for overuse injuries. You can avoid that by honoring rest days!
It Gives Your Mind a Rest
Working out isn't simply taxing physically, it's also taxing mentally. You can get burnt out if you don't give yourself time to rest and rejuvenate and notice your motivation start to tank. So don't take a rest day for your body alone, but for your mind too.
Rest days are crucial, so don't skip them thinking it will get you ahead. Not honoring them can actually set you back as you pursue your health and wellness goals.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Woodland Hills, Calif.