Fitness junkies everywhere may look at this post as if it’s the devil. However, rest days are crucial to training and it’s ok to skip your workout (really it’s not the end of your life). While you are scrolling on IG looking at your favorite fitness accounts and feel as if you’re slacking for taking a day off, your body and mind really needs this time to recover and grow.
Think about how you may feel after working a 40 hour work week. By Friday, you’re fatigued and ready for the weekend. Overworking causes mood shifts, stress, and exhaustion (is that a word, lol) all the time which leads to burn out (quitting).
Think about your body in the same way. Over training is not a way to get faster results it’s quite the opposite. You become more susceptible to injury and plateaus. Never taking a day off actually makes you weaker. Ironic, huh!
You should rest every third day. You do not have to be completely inactive on your rest days. I workout Monday and Tuesday and take a break on Wednesday, and I’m not sitting at home thinking about the gym or Zumba either. I use this time to relax my mind and body by stretching or yoga.
Remember it’s not your workouts that make you stronger its rest, because the rest allow your muscles to heal and recover. Plus, your rest day prepares you to kill your next workout.
So recap: Why should you take a rest day?
- Rest/Build Muscles
- Avoid Plateaus
- Avoid Mood Swings
- Avoid Quitting (Burnout)
- Relax Your Mind
Listen to your body,
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