When you’re working toward your fitness goals, you might think spending every day at the gym will help you reach them faster. However, taking breaks from your normal workout routine is essential for your health, safety, and recovery. The guide below explains why you need to include rest days in your exercise program.

Why Are Rest Days Important?

No workout schedule is complete without rest days. Your body uses these days off to recover, which helps prevent injuries. Exercising creates tiny tears in your muscle tissue, which your cells repair and rebuild when you are at rest. This is especially important for strength training. Muscle growth only occurs during rest periods between weight lifting sessions.

Rest is also important for preventing fatigue and injury. Your muscles store carbohydrates as glycogen, which is used to fuel your workouts. If you don’t allow your body to replenish your glycogen levels, your muscles will feel tired and sore. This increases your risk of burnout and injury. With muscle fatigue, you’ll be more likely to lose your balance, drop a weight, or use an incorrect form. Repetitive stress and overuse injuries are also a concern.

What Should You Do During Rest Days?

Making the most of your days home from the gym will contribute to your overall fitness goals. Remember to drink plenty of water to replenish fluids from sweat, prevent dehydration, and lubricate your muscles and joints. 

Your body will need fewer calories on rest days, but you should focus on eating balanced meals complete with lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates such as whole-wheat breads and quinoa. 

Get plenty of sleep to allow your mind and body to recover. The National Sleep Foundation recommends adults aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night.

Taking a day to rest doesn’t mean you need to remain inactive. Gentle, low-impact exercises can help prevent the buildup of lactate in the blood, reducing your risk of cramping and fatigue. Walking, yoga, and stretching are excellent activities to do in between.

Do You Need More Rest Days?

Certain physical, mental, and emotional symptoms can indicate you need more rest days. Here are the most common signs of overexercising:

• Persistent muscle pain or soreness
• Fatigue long after you leave the gym
• Increased incidences of injuries
• Cravings for sweet or hearty foods
• Binge eating
• Sudden mood changes
• Obsessive exercising
• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Reduced effectiveness of workouts
   

When you’re ready to join a gym that prioritizes your health, safety, and fitness goals, come to Bombers CrossFit® in Beavercreek. OH. Servicing all of Dayton, as well as Kettering, Oakwood, and Bellbrook, our fitness center takes pride in the highly supportive and motivational community we’ve built. We offer intense and varied CrossFit®, weight lifting, and endurance training programs designed to challenge you mentally and physically. Call (318) 401-1538 to get started on your path to fitness. For more information about our programs, visit us online.