With fitness being the rage, almost every fitness expert gives you advice on the best workout routine. However, what many forget to mention is the need to rest in between the workouts. Whether you are a professional athlete or you are pursuing fitness as a hobby, you need to remember that it is important to give your body some time to rest in between.
If you consult fitness experts, they will tell you how important rest days are. They are as important as following any workout routine. Overtraining without rest can hurt your body and burn you out in the end.
Advantages of having a rest day
Overtraining or training without breaks can cause soreness in your muscles and also make you susceptible to infections. Every time, you begin a new fitness regime, you need to include a rest day in between to ensure that your body has the time to recover and recuperate. Having a rest day in between your workout routine has key benefits, directly having a positive impact on your body.
Recovery time is a must
Rest days are not just meant for lounging around. It is a day where we allow the muscles in our body to enjoy the benefits of the everyday workout routine that you have been following.
It is a proven fact that there are microscopic level tears in muscle tissues that happen over a period when you exercise. These are repairs that can be handled by our body itself provided it has the time to do it. The rest day gives your body time to repair the tears and allows your tissues to heal. The fibroblasts in our cells are programmed to help with repairing muscle tear and this helps in stronger muscle development.
The energy we get during our workouts is from the glycogen produced by our body by breaking down carbohydrates. When you rest, your body gets the time to replenish the energy levels and stock up on carbs for the next workout regime.
Avoid fatigue to feel refreshed
It is important to have a rest to ensure that you prevent your muscles from feeling tired excessively. The reduction in the levels of glycogen, from exercising, causes your body to be sore and feel extremely tired.
With the glycogen levels getting refilled after a rest day, your body feels refreshed and ready to face the upcoming challenges and workout routine.
Say No to Injuries
Oftentimes, when people are working out, they injure themselves without realizing it. When you overexert your body, you might make a mistake and drop a weight that can hurt you. Or you might simply take a wrong step that can prove dangerous to you. Overtraining can also add additional strain and stress to your body. And if you do not give your body the rest it deserves, you might end up taking more days to rest than you planned for.
Better performance
A well-rested body will be able to perform better, be it in a new workout regime or at other work activities. When you don’t have enough rest, not just your body but your mind may not cooperate in achieving your goals either. Your reaction times and agility will be poor and you will have lesser endurance than on other days.
With good rest, you will have more energy, less fatigue, better endurance, faster reflexes, and to summarize a better performance in all that you do.
Better sleep
Sleep is one of the important factors that determine your physical and mental health. Studies have proven that proper and enough sleep helps our body to recover from any injury and your mind feels well-rested too.
As you embark on a physically straining routine, your body starts excreting energy hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. With continuous exercising, the body starts producing these hormones in excess which will have an impact on your sleeping pattern.
With better rest for your body, you will also have a good sleep and your hormones will continue to be in the right state.
How do you make your rest days count?
Rest days are a must, whether you are working to build a body or to lose weight. The kind of rest will vary based on every individual’s health, physical requirements, age, etc. It is also dependent on the frequency of your everyday workout routine and its intensity. It is also dependent on your lifestyle and how sedentary or not it is.
Despite the kind of workout you do, in general, there are a few things you need to remember when planning your rest days. It will depend on the kind of activity you undertake.
a. If you indulge in light cardio like walking leisurely or slow dancing, then you may not need a rest day. You can afford to do this every day unless there is a medical reason not to.
b. For individuals who indulge in any aerobic activity, at a moderate or challenging level, it is essential to have some rest days. In case of moderate levels, you can take a rest every 3 or 5 days. In the case of vigorous cardiovascular activities, it would be better to have rest days more frequently.
c. If you are not very keen on having a rest day, then you can have lighter workouts on these days, like a few stretching exercises to keep your body working the flow.
d. Depending on the time you spend on cardio and the kind of activities you undertake, your fitness trainer can recommend the best way to rest your body. They can create a plan around the workout routine without compromising on your fitness goals.
e. If you want to take up running, you have to do it slowly starting with running three times a week. Running can easily tire your muscles and you need to take breaks in between to ensure that your muscles can repair after a strong workout. On the rest days, you can take up other activities that are not very exhausting.
f. For those who are participating in a marathon, you have to rest more as you get closer to the date of the marathon. Your fitness trainer can give you tips on how to rest and yet achieve your goals comfortably.
g. The rest days for weightlifting and bodybuilding involve the rotation of muscles being worked out. For instance, you can work out your abs on Monday, legs on Tuesday, and so on.
The most important reason many of us visit a fitness center is to lose weight. And yet, when you are working out to lose weight, you need to have rest days to build your muscles. This will help you feel refreshed and be an active participant in your workout routine. Also, muscles can burn more calories when you are resting.
How should you spend your rest day?
When we speak of rest days, we immediately think of binging on our favorite TV show and snacks and lying down on the couch. But that is not how these rest days work. You need to make sure that your body gets the right diet and the necessary protein these days.
a. Listen to your body and you will be surprised. It will be more satiated, thanks to your workout and you will be eating lesser than you used to as well.
b. Make sure to take enough protein to rebuild the worn-out muscles. The amount of protein will vary depending on your body weight and your fitness trainer can guide you on the same.
c. You have to restore your glycogen in the rest days and hence you need to stock up on carbohydrates. Depending on the kind of workout you undertake and your body weight, your carbs intake will vary.
d. You have to keep yourself well hydrated to keep cramps and other issues at bay. Water is as essential as any other food on rest days.
e. Ensure that you indulge in healthy veggies and fruits with nutrients to make your recovery more favorable to your fitness goals.
f. You can indulge in light yoga that improves your awareness of the body, flexibility, and breathing. You can also build your body strength and stretch your muscles lightly with yoga.
g. With meditation and yoga, you can attain a natural state of calmness and it can help with recovery in a few minutes.
If you are a beginner or you have taken a long break from exercising, then speaking to a pro will help you chart out the best plan. The professional trainer will help design a personalized training program that is based on your fitness level, your fitness objectives, and your end goal.
At Base Fitness, we believe in working together as a community to promote the physical and mental well-being of everyone in the group. We train as a unit and ensure that everyone achieves their fitness goals in line with their professional and personal expectations.