Did you know that rest days are just as important as exercise?
What is a rest day?
A rest day is a day off from your normal training routine. This doesn’t necessarily mean being lazy on the couch (but we won’t judge you!), this is actually the time that the beneficial effects of exercise take place.
Why do we need a rest day?
A rest day allows your body to recover from all the hard work you have been putting in during your workouts. A rest day allows your muscles to recover, adapt and become stronger. Adding a rest day into your workout routine will prevent you over exercising and injury.
Adding a rest day or two into your routine will:
- Allow time for your body and muscles to recover.
When we exercise we are stretching and tearing our muscles, during a rest day we allow these muscles to repair and grow. - Give your body time to replenish your energy.
- Help reduce injury.
We don’t want to over work out bodies, allowing for rest and recovery will make sure your body is ready for each workout! - Allow you to push yourself further.
If we over exercise and don’t allow for rest, you will become fatigued, reduce your endurance and slow your reaction times. Having enough rest will give your body the power to challenge yourself a little further.
How often should you have a rest day?
We should have at least one full rest day each week. This depends on your training intensity, if you are new to exercise, even if you do full-body workouts or split workouts.
TIP: You may choose to split your workouts based on body areas. E.g. Monday legs, Tuesday shoulders etc – this will give specific body areas a rest day between workouts.
