Are Rest Days Important?

It’s great to be driven to reach your fitness goals. It’s commendable to turn up to the gym regularly, especially on days where you lack the enthusiasm.

However, there is such a thing as over training.  Training 6 or 7 days a week could actually be detrimental to you. Your body might need more time to recuperate, as rest and recovery is just as crucial as working out. Balance is key.

If you’re just starting out on your fitness journey, this is particularly important for you to keep in mind. Start small and slowly increase the intensity of your workouts in order to prevent injury and burnout

Am I working out too much?

It’s easy to put pressure on yourself to train as much as possible. Regardless of your circumstances you need to be mindful that you’re getting enough rest and recovery in between your workouts, job and life in general.

Make sure your goals are realistic. Having unrealistic goals from the start can set you up for failure. If you’re really sore or your body feels tired, there is a good chance that you need a rest day. Don’t feel guilty; you’re doing yourself and your body a huge favour. Rest, and then get back to it the following day.

Now I’m not saying to rest every second day because you have a little bit of muscle soreness, this isn’t an excuse to not turn up. But be smart and listen to your body.

Rest lets your muscles recuperate and repair the damage sustained after working out. Strength and endurance gains can’t happen without sufficient recovery. So having a rest day = gains, even though it might feel counter intuitive, its actually very beneficial.

A good guide when starting out is 2 days on, 1 day off.  If you aim for 3-4 sessions a week, getting 8 hours of sleep a night and have a balanced diet, you’re on the right track and will see results.

Some signs of overtraining might be perpetual soreness, your training might hit a plateau or you performance might even decrease. If this is you, it might be time to rethink your training routine.

If you’re still getting results and still really enjoying your training, you’re probably on the right track. If one of these is missing, something might need to change. Talk to your coach if you’re unsure. Finding that balance isn’t always easy.

Think about how you feel when you don’t get enough sleep. You feel fuzzy, can’t concentrate, you don’t function @100%, stress levels increase, you feel lethargic and a little sensitive. The same thing happens to your body if you don’t get enough recovery time.

A rest day is beneficial to your mind and your body. Find that balance, be kind to yourself and keep your motivation!

Ready to let go of those negative thoughts and start your journey towards better health? The first step is to book yourself in for a FREE trial session. All you need to do is CLICK HERE and complete the form. Then one of our coaches will call you right away to discuss your goals.

Start here

Book a free intro today so we can learn all about you, your goals and how we can help you reach them
Free Intro