You work hard during your workouts and have dedicated yourself to revamping your diet. If you are on a roll with making a positive lifestyle change, why would you want to consider taking a rest day? Believe it or not, rest days are vital to any healthy lifestyle. Read on to learn why resting from exercise is just as important as the exercise itself.
Boost Your Immune System
You know that working out has a wide array of positive benefits for your health. You can improve your cardiovascular system, lower bad cholesterol, improve your brain function, and build muscle strength. Regular exercise can also boost your energy levels and improve your digestive function. What about your immune system though?
However, it is possible to get too much of a good thing. Studies have shown that when exercising at high to moderate intensities most athletes benefit from a rest day after 2 days of exercise. If they continue to exercise for more than 2 days without a rest day, they are more likely to experience a lowered immune system.
A study published in Frontiers in Physiology expounds upon this stating, “Considering this immune response, it would be recommended to incorporate a rest day following two consecutive days of high-intensity intermittent running to minimize immune cell modulations and reduce potential susceptibility to infections.”
Repair Muscles and Tendons
When you exercise you break down your muscle tissue. You cause micro-tears in the muscle during exercise. When your body repairs these tears your muscles get stronger. However, if your muscles are constantly being torn down then this repair can’t happen.
Exercise also puts stress on your tendons, ligaments, and bones. Without a proper recovery plan, you are more likely to suffer an injury due to the continued stress on these systems. In an article for Well Bridge, Sarah Gibson, NASM CPT, states, “As we work out, we place greater strain on our muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and joints. Our immune system is activated when there are muscle tears or joint strains, but if the body doesn’t come out of continual practice, this system doesn’t have the time to catch up and start patching everything back up.”
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Improved Mental Outlook
Just as your body needs rest, your mind also needs a break from exercise from time to time. Taking a rest day can provide a much-needed mental break so you can maintain your training intensity over time. Breaking Muscle highlights the benefits of finding a balance by asserting, “A balanced combination of rest and recovery along with proper diet and exercise should be part of any fitness regimen. Unless you are competing at an elite level, you should follow the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of your time can be spent focusing on diet and exercise, while twenty percent should be left for enjoying life. In other words, don’t let yourself get too wrapped up in perfection.”
Spend More Time With Loved Ones
There are only so many hours in the day. Take advantage of your time away from the gym and your exercise routine to spend more time with those you care about. If you are a parent, your children will love the extra time with you and new memories will be made. Spending time with those you love will bring you an equal amount of the happy endorphins you gain with exercise, and your muscles will be repairing themselves at the same time.
Brain Fatigue
When you are pushing your body through a tough workout, it requires a great deal of stamina and mental strength from the brain. The end result is not only that physical exertion is hard on your body but the mind can also be equally fatigued. When you step away from your exercise routine, your brain receives a psychological break, allowing it to relax and recover side by side with your muscles.
Replace Energy Stores
When you participate in moderate to high-intensity exercise, your body utilizes the glycolysis energy pathway. This pathway specifically uses carbohydrates to fuel muscle activity. When you feel tired and drained at the end of a workout, this is a sign that your glycogen levels could be low. When these levels are low, the body uses protein for fuel instead of using it for repairing muscle tissue. When you take a rest day from exercise, you allow these levels the chance to refuel for your next workout.
Find Other Hobbies
Don’t forget other hobbies besides working out! Finish reading that book you started last month. Sit down and binge-watch that show you have been hearing about. Volunteer at the dog shelter, teach yourself how to play a musical instrument, sign up to coach a team or visit a home for senior citizens. With only so many hours in the day, taking a rest day allows you the time to pursue or develop other interests.
Reduce The Chance of Injury
Days and days of exercise with no rest day can be a fast ticket to an injury. Fractures can be caused by repeated stress on the body. Bones need time to heal and recover and so do muscles. A lack of rest for your body can cause many painful issues such as tendinitis and a variety of other issues simply caused by inflammation from overuse. Giving your body the time it needs to recover can lower your chances of future injuries.
Keep You Motivated
Hopefully, you are exercising because you understand the benefits of exercise and it’s something that you enjoy. However, when you don’t take the time to take a rest day, you ultimately may find yourself taking the fun out of something that at one point you enjoyed, and it may now seem like a chore. Losing your motivation can make it very challenging to find your way back. Give yourself a break and allow yourself to continue to feel the desire to improve and fuel your passion.
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Include Rest Days In Your Routine
No matter what your current fitness level is, rest is necessary in order to fully reap the benefits of your exercise program. Incorporate rest days into your schedule, and give your body and mind a break. You will come back even stronger.
Rest and relaxation are key to good health. Finding time to take a break can improve moods as well as relieve stress and anxiety. Even more powerful, these rest days have the ability to relieve pain, improve your overall immune system and decrease your blood pressure. Long-term stress can lead to long-term health problems, difficulties in focus, and digestive issues.
Schedule time for yourself to take a break and spend the day doing something that you enjoy. The long-term health and relaxation benefits will make the challenge of finding time for yourself well worth it. Turn it into a habit.
Find Rest and Comfort with Xr2
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Xr2 is different from other sleep and stress products because the first priority is to attack the stress. When the stress is gone, Xr2 works towards the goal of balancing out the body’s natural cortisol release. Less stress automatically leads to a better night’s sleep. It’s an incredible combination of a sleep aid, stress fighter, and weight-loss helper.*
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
*Lose up to 15 pounds in 8 days. Lose an additional 1-2 pounds or more each week following the 8-day jump start. Results are not guaranteed and can vary.
