How To Take a Rest Day

Now the new year is well under way, many of you have upped your workout game and may be looking at bringing even more activity and training into your weekly schedule to make sure you achieve your goals. However when you are planning your week, do you actively plan your rest days?

Rest days are one of the most important things we should consider – and plan – when it comes to creating workout programmes. It is easy to get into the mindset that you must train hard to play hard, but not taking scheduled rest days in between might actually be setting you back and, in some cases, regressing your progression.

So why are rest days so important?

1. They help you avoid injury! Rest days are an important part of your programming as they allow your muscles to rest and adapt to the stress they are put under during training. Every time you exercise, you actively make microscopic tears in your muscles – don’t worry this needs to happen in order for them to grow and adapt. But when you overdo your training or avoid your much-needed rest, those intentional “micro-injuries” can easily become real injuries that prevent you from training indefinitely, or worse. There’s also a condition known as Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) which refers primarily to the stress done to your body’s central nervous system by training too hard without sufficient rest. Severe cases of OTS can cause your mood to plummet, your immune system to suffer and you will be skipping your session for weeks or months rather than just a day.
2. They help you to improve! Rest days not only give your physical body a rest, but they also help you to rest your mind too. We all know what it feels like to go hell for leather into a new routine. You workout every day (sometimes even twice) and you feel amazing; but after a few weeks, your motivation dwindles and all of a sudden you feel like you need a new programme to ‘kick-start’ your fitness again. Say HELLO to the vicious cycle! Progress is made by moving in the right direction in a controlled way, one step at a time and being consistent. Whilst it’s great to be keen on going to the gym, sometimes, your eagerness may not end up in your favour.
3. They build muscle! Did you know that muscle builds whilst at rest – not when its working? Whilst it may seem counterproductive not to be working your muscles for them to grow, rest is the stage in the cycle where you break down your muscle tissue so that it can adapt to the newly introduced strain and grow back stronger. Also, a major part of this recovery and growth happens during sleep, as confirmed by studies which have shown growth hormone to spike dramatically during deep sleep. So make sure that you priorities your zzz’s too!

How do you take a rest day?

There is lots of different literature and advice on this topic, but the golden rule is that you must LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! If you are feeling completely wiped from your weekly programming and your body is sore then there’s nothing wrong with putting on Netflix and putting your feet up for the day. But if you feel good and energised some light exercise such as a walk or yoga might help you to relieve some of your DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and help keep your mind healthy and rested too.

Whatever you choose to-do, make sure you prioritise the following habits throughout the day to maximise your recovery:

• Schedule it – Make sure that when you are scheduling your weekly sessions, that you also plan your rest days too. This will make sure that you take them seriously and also make you feel more accomplished when you do. Why don’t you download our FREE monthly planner to help track your workouts this month – we love it!
• Stay Hydrated – Water acts as a lubricant for muscles and joints, helping athletes to avoid muscle cramps and soreness.
• Fuel your body – Just because you’re moving less doesn’t mean your should eat less! Eating the right foods to support muscle repair ensures they have the nutrients they need to grow. It can also help reduce DOMS; this soreness can impact range of motion, in addition to causing discomfort.
• Prioritise protein intake – In fact, not getting enough protein on rest days can actually hinder your muscle growth and athletic performance. Protein delivers a punch of amino acids into your bloodstream. Some of those go to repairing hair and nails or vital organs while others head for your skeletal and smooth muscles. So, if you have worked your muscles hard, a delivery of protein can help your muscles to repair and grow better.
• Stretch and recover – Taking a few minutes to stretch daily can greatly improve flexibility and may help alleviate tight muscles. However, these moves are especially important on rest days because they can help speed recovery and improve overall mobility which will, in turn, help you complete movements better.
• Don’t feel guilty – If you don’t know why this is important, go back to the top and read this article again!
• Enjoy – You’ve earned it!