Why Rest Days Matter

I don’t know about you, but when I get into a rhythm with working out and staying active, I don’t want to stop. If I find a good routine at the gym or am in a good place in my running journey, I feel like I could keep going forever. While it’s great to feel confident in your routine, it is important to recognize the value of rest days. There was a point last summer where I was going to the gym five times a week. Looking back, I wasn’t working out in a healthy way, and I wasn’t allowing myself to take breaks. If you find yourself in this situation, I hope you can learn something and gain some insight on how to create a more sustainable routine!

Preservation

The most obvious benefit to creating space for rest days in your routine is preservation. Days of rest allow your body to relax and recover, and they allow all of the hard work you’ve put in to really sink in. This gives your body time to rejuvenate and helps fight back against injury. I used to think that rest days were hindering results, but it makes a lot of sense when you stop and think about it. My mindset in the past was to make sure I did the most each day so I would become stronger faster. I thought that if I ran at an 8 mile pace every time I got on the treadmill, then I would automatically become faster. However, I had to learn that that way of thinking was actually hurting instead of helping.

If you are working out every day and exerting yourself significantly each time, your muscles will burn out quicker because they don’t have any time to recover. However, if you incorporate rest days into your routine, then your muscles will have the time to relax and rebuild stronger, ultimately maximizing the effort you put in the days before. Preventing injury is another important benefit. As you give yourself time to recover between workout sessions, your body will be less prone to injury because it has that time to rebuild and strengthen itself. There are so many more health benefits to rest days, but ultimately, it is a great way to reward your body for all of its hard work!

Mental Health

Another reason why rest days matter is that it is a good way to take care of your mental health. This goes for anything in life, not just working out. While exercising can be physically taxing, it can also be mentally taxing. If you are truly pushing yourself, workouts should be challenging to some extent. Having those days of rest can be a great way to relax mentally. If you are always going at 100% in the gym, you’re eventually going to exist in a state of heightened stress because your mind and body will be in a constant state of stress. Days off will allow your mind to relax and not worry about being put in a difficult place.

Rest days and rest periods are important generally in everyday life. There are so many moments where we can get overwhelmed and burnt out. Especially as a student hitting finals season right now, I know there will be days of stress and anxiety. However, scheduling those rest days ahead of time will greatly serve you in the long run. Not only will it break up days into periods that feel more achievable, but it will also improve mental stamina. When you give yourself a mental break, it renews you to come back to your workout routine, job or whatever you were doing before stronger and with a clearer mind.

What Does a Rest Day Look Like?

So, you may be thinking, what do I do for rest days? The answer is, whatever you would like! Essentially, a rest day is a time for you to do something different and switch up your routine. You can choose to take it literally and rest. Choosing to do nothing for a day can be extremely rewarding, and it is a luxury. However, some people can’t do that. Personally, I like having some days to sleep in and have a slow day, but I don’t like to do that too much because it makes me feel unproductive. A rest day could incorporate doing a hobby or something relaxing like hanging out with friends or family. You could go to the movies, eat out at a new restaurant or pick up a coloring book. If you are still craving some sort of movement, you could make your rest day an active recovery day. This looks like staying active in a way that doesn’t pose too much of a challenge. Walking and yoga are great options that keep you active while still giving your body the rest and recovery it needs.

There are some of my thoughts and advice on why rest days matter! If you have advice of your own or any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below! Keep taking it easy my friends <3