Here are my good reasons why a rest is sometimes more beneficial than a training session.
Avoid fatigue:-
Your body needs to re-generate, restore and repair itself often. The most effective way for your body to naturally heal itself is for you to rest. Overworked muscles and over-stressed joints just don’t perform as well, and luckily our body lets us know when our muscles are overworked. Your pain receptors will make movements uncomfortable and your joints can become tender when you push your body too hard. The nervous system also needs time to rest in order to adapt and improve from training.
Always listen to your body and rest if you are sore.
Natural Cycle:-
Athletes train in cycles for a reason. The timing of training may vary from athlete to athlete, but one common factor in every athlete’s training program is planned rest days. One of the main reasons athletes rest is to avoid fatigue, but resting the body also helps athletes avoid common overuse or stress injuries. Many athletes notice an improved general performance after taking time off from training.
A well-rested body will get better results than a tired one.
Spark Excitement:-
If you are putting your body through the motions day after day, you can become complacent and your exercise intensity is likely to drop without you even realizing.
Have you ever seen a dog that hasn’t been walked for a few days? As soon as the dog goes out, it’s like a whole new world and they are just so excited. Well, it can be the same for humans when we’re working out. Taking a day or two off from your current workout routine can make you come back to the gym with a renewed commitment and excited approach.
There could be many factors that impact your results, but if over-training is one of them it is easy to fix with a simple day or two of rest. My goal is to help you discover ways to improve your current fitness level and emphasize that you should to listen to your body. We are all individuals and our bodies adapt at our own personal rate. Giving your body adequate rest so it can be strong for your next workout is a smart approach to achieving sustainable results.
You only have one body, so use it wisely.
Although I am encouraging you to add a few rest days into your intense training weeks, this is not an excuse for you to sit on the couch and do nothing all the time. A simple change of routine or incorporating activities that are at a lower intensity, such as a gentle walk or swim, are acceptable rest day activities. Occasionally my family enjoys a ‘duvet day’ where we sit back, relax and read or watch movies. We’re usually active and we like getting out and about, but now and then it’s good for everyone to recharge.
I know that taking a rest definitely improves my performance and helps me reach the next fitness level. So, aim for one or two rest days a week but keep your completely inactive couch days to a few times a year.
Let me know if you’ve seen the benefit of rest days, too. I love that something so simple can have a significant impact on breaking through a fitness or weight loss plateau—even if it does sound counterintuitive.