Are rest days important for exercise?
We are generally advised to stay active and fit and to engage in regular exercise. But more of anything is never good. Rest days are as important as exercising. In fact, a good fitness regime is incomplete without rest days. Having consistent breaks gives your body much-needed recovery and repair. It is a crucial part of advancement, regardless of your level of fitness or sports. Leaving out the rest days can lead to fatigue and exhaustion.
There are some advantages of having regular rest days
- Gives time for recovery-due to exercise, there is a microscopic tear of the muscle tissue. And during the rest period cells known as fibroblasts helps in repairing it. This in turn helps the tissue to heal and grow, making the muscle more strong. Carbohydrates in the form of glycogen are stored in muscle. Glycogen works as fuel at the time of exercise. Rest helps to restore these energy stores before you exercise next.
- Prevents muscle fatigue– for avoiding exercise-related fatigue it is necessary to rest. The glycogen depletion can result in muscle fatigue and soreness. By taking the exact amount of rest you can avert fatigue by restoring your glycogen reserve.
- Decreases risk of injury– for staying safe during exercise regular rest is a must. If you overdo the exercise you will be at risk of getting out of form, dropping weight, or doing a wrong step. There is also the risk of overuse injury, impelling you to take more rest days than thought.
- Improves performance—it is hard to perform your normal routine when you do not get enough rest. While you force yourself, overexercising reduces your performance. You may have less endurance, slow reaction time, and poor agility.
Rest, on the other hand, boosts energy and prevents fatigue, preparing your body for consistent workouts.
- Supports healthy sleep— regular exercise can help improve your sleep but taking rest day helps too.
Exercise increases cortisol and adrenaline, energy-boosting hormones in the body. But regular exercise overproduces them. Thus, you will have a difficult time getting good sleep, which in turn increases fatigue and exhaustion. Rest will aid you in getting better sleep by lessening the hormones and bringing them down to a balanced state.
Signs you need a rest day
When you notice these signs, you need to take a break–
- Sore muscle – it is quite normal to feel sore post-exercise regime but non-stop soreness is dangerous. This indicates that your muscles have not recovered from past exercises.
- Fatigue– keep an eye on extreme fatigue. If there is a feeling of exhaustion take a rest.
- Pain – pain in a muscle or joint that is persistent may be indicative of an overused injury.
- Emotional changes– if hormones like serotonin and cortisol become imbalanced due to fatigue, you can experience irritability, crankiness, and mood swings.
- Sleeping issues- it is hard to get good sleep with high levels of cortisol and adrenalin.
- Reduced performance- if you feel difficulty in doing your daily chores try to rest for a day.
Always keep in mind that without enough rest, you will not be able to reach the goals you have set. The best thing you can do for the success of your fitness goal is to give your body the rest it requires.
