You might think that bulldozing through your workout plan is a good idea. After all, if you’re working your body hard, you’re sure to see results, right? Wrong.
The jury’s in. According to top fitness experts, to truly get the most out of your exercise routine, you need to include rest days as a core part of your workout exercise plan.
Benefits of rest days
What makes rest days so important? Rest days offer many health benefits. We know what it’s like to feel guilty for doing light exercise when you ‘should’ be in hardcore mode, reaching that next fitness milestone. But the truth is, if you take rest days when you need them, they can actually improve the overall effectiveness of your workouts.
Here’s why. Rest days are essential for giving your body time to recuperate, heal and rebuild. When you’re constantly tearing and stretching muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints to push yourself further and achieve that exercise high, you need to take breaks to help your immune system keep up. If you don’t, you might run your immune system into the ground and do irreparable damage to your health.
Studies show that you’ll actually undo the good you’re doing through exercise if you don’t include rest days in your workout plan. For example, if you’re a runner, you’ll have a greater risk of sustaining serious injuries such as bone spurs, shin splints, and tendon shearing if you take to the field when you should be resting up.
It’s also about mindfulness and maintaining a healthy balance across all aspects of your life. If you’re a fitness junkie for fun, rather than profession, building rest days into your workout plan will help you maintain a healthy balance across all spheres of your life, from home and work to fitness.
How to make the most out of rest days
So how can you make the most out of your workout plan routine with rest days? Here are some quick tips from the pros:
- If you’re a Pilates and yoga lover, a rest day for you might involve a full day off, relaxing and centring your mind.
- If you’re into bodybuilding, a rest day might involve taking a day off from lifting, and replacing it with cardio.
- If you’re a runner, relax and avoid high impact exercise that will impact your legs.
So before you start your next hardcore workout, be sure to hash out the details of your exercise routine with your personal trainer to see where you can benefit from rest days. Ask your trainer for ideas on light fitness activities you can do, to keep your motivation strong.
Get in touch
Want more insights into how to build a workout plan that includes rest days and maximises the benefits for your health? Get in touch with the ifeelgood24/7 team – we know all the ins and outs of an awesome workout plan that will help you see results!
