The reason why rest days are really important

Rest days are when you take a break from your regular workout routine and they’re an important part of that routine – you should take rest days on a regular basis, i.e. every week or so.
 
They’re important because they help your body a chance to repair and recover and to help prevent injury. Some of the health benefits:

• Preventing injury: Overexercising puts repetitive stress and strain on the muscles, increasing the risk of injury
• Replenishing the body’s energy stores: Glycogen is a form of energy stored in muscles. Exercise depletes glycogen levels, which leads to muscle fatigue. Rest days allow the muscles to replenish their glycogen stores, thereby reducing muscle fatigue and preparing the muscles for their next workout
• Repairing and building muscles: Exercise creates microscopic tears in muscle tissue. During rest days, cells called fibroblasts repair and build up the muscle tissue
• Resolving muscle pain and soreness: by letting the body have a chance to eliminate excess lactate from the muscles

 
And for me, the most important part, because this is the one that I know we all forget about (especially me):

• Allowing the mind to rest: Overexercising can tire the mind as well as the body. Tiredness can lead to poor decision making during a workout routine

And as such, here are a few of the mood and behavioral signs you need a rest day:

• irritability
• insomnia
• prioritizing fitness over everything else
• binge eating, or craving comfort foods
• mood shifts

 
You should also take a few days off if you experience:

• continued feelings of sluggishness following a workout
• reduced beneficial effects of the workout, such as a decreasing rate of fat loss or muscle gain.
• persistent muscle pain or soreness
• inability to complete a workout routine
• increased incidence of injury or illness

 
So, in summary, it’s absolutely true that exercise does put a strain on the body AND the mind, and without rest days, the result is exhaustion, both physical (your body doesn’t have any time to repair itself) and mental, which can increase your propensity to make mistakes and to give up exercise altogether. Continually pushing on without a rest day will eventually lead to failure.
 
Ideas for how to spend a rest day
A great idea would be that, because this helps to remove a potential buildup of lactate in your system, and thus helps prevent cramping and fatigue, to do gentle exercises during your rest day(s) like walking and yoga. Personally, I walk my doggo every day, including during rest days and it’s part of my intentions this year to pick up Yoga (Apple Fitness Plus has got awesome beginner classes). Other ideas that may seem obvious but it’s always good to emphasize them just in case
 

• spending time on a hobby or other activity, such as coaching a sports team
• enjoying time with family or friends
• catching up with work
• volunteering
• reading a book or watching TV to relax

 
Lastly, you should speak to a doc when you believe you have sustained an injury during exercise, and most importantly if you see that you’re developing an unhealthy compulsion to exercise (that means you have an uncontrollable need to exercise), because compulsive exercising can be associated to eating disorders, perfectionism and personality disorders such as neuroticism (you’re constantly negative and irritable), OCB and narcissism.
 
In Summary:

• Rest days are an important part of exercise for all levels of fitness
• A person should take a rest day every 7–10 days or as needed to help the body and mind recover.
• A rest day can be an active day that incorporates gentle exercises such as walking or yoga. Alternatively, a person may opt for a full day of relaxation.
• A person should talk to their doctor if they believe they are injured or feel compelled to keep working out without stopping.

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@philippemora
Always be kind and passionate.
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