Importance of a Rest Day
By Coach Trueman
I have noticed individuals in the gym who work out on a constant basis whom I have never seen take a day off from working out. I wanted to express the importance of taking a rest day and what happens during your rest.
Below are potential benefits of a rest day:
Alleviate Muscle Pain & Soreness
- Your body will have the chance to remove lactate which helps to alleviate muscle pain and soreness
Repair & Build Muscle
- Exercise creates small tears in your muscle tissue.
- Resting days allows your muscle cells to repair themselves and build up muscle tissue.
Replenish the Body’s Energy Stores
- Glycogen is a form of energy stored in muscles. Exercise depletes this which leads to fatigue.
- Rest days allows your body to refuel.
Preventing Injury
- Over exercising puts repeated stress/strain on your muscles which in turns increases the risk of injury
Common signs you might need to take a rest day are as follows:
Signs that You Need a Rest Day
- Continued muscle pain and/or soreness.
- Lack of ability to finish a workout.
- Continued feeling of tiredness after workouts.
- Reduced benefits of workouts.
- Decrease of muscle gain or fat loss.
There are risks that can come if you do not take a rest day:
Risks of Not Taking a Rest Day
- Exercising without taking a rest day can cause physical exhaustion.
- Not resting can cause your body to use protein as energy which will cause the lack of muscle repair and growth.
- Simply put, not resting does not let your body repair itself.
The man benefit of rest days is to spend time with your family which is the most important part of why anyone should take a rest day.
