
What’s more, resting actually improves your overall performance, since regular rest days gives your body adequate time to recover from training more broadly. “For those who have aesthetic goals, allowing muscle groups to repair and rebuild after intense workouts is key for growth.” Giving those fibers time to repair is “key to making gains,” says Ellis. Being strategic about rest days can help to reduce the amount of strain you accumulate, while allowing you to recover from the strain.” Improve Gains and Overall Performanceĭuring exercise, the exertion you put on your body causes micro-tears in the muscle fibers. “The accumulation of stress, and/or overuse can lead to injury. Speaking of overtraining, “incorporating rest days can help to mitigate injuries,” says Ellis. Without necessary rest days, the benefits of exercise- improved mood, sharper memory, and increased energy just to name a few-risk being overshadowed by fatigue, reduced reaction time, and other hallmarks of overtraining. You can have too much of a good thing when it comes to exercise, says Ellis. Here are some of the biggest reasons not to skip your rest days. So, keeping your goals and exercise mentality in mind will help you determine when to slot rest days into your weekly workout routine. “If I’m someone who likes to keep my foot on the gas throughout the week, then I would think about resting every other day in order to keep myself fresh, and also to make sure that I’m allowing my body to adapt to my workouts,” says Ellis. But your own practice might look different. a high-intensity, low-intensity, high-intensity, low-intensity, moderate-intensity, high-intensity, and rest ,” he says.įor some people, a rest day might fall at the end of a string of consecutive training days. The key is to vary your “intensity throughout the week in a way that allows for adequate recovery-i.e. But, as with anything in fitness, it depends on your individual training program.

Generally speaking, everyone should take at least one rest day a week, says Ellis. “It’s a day that focuses on decompressing from stressors and ‘filling your cup’ in different facets-physically, mentally, socially.” In other words, you don't have to stay supine for the whole day-just take your foot off the gas a bit. “Rest days are not dedicated to strenuous exercise training,” he says. You're just not pushing yourself to the extent that you would during your typical training program. When you're faced with these types of situations, remember that a "rest day" doesn't mean that you're laying around on your couch, totally sedentary. Still, you should remember: Rest days are a must. That might make actually following this guidance an obstacle. You're supposed to rest, but you don't want to take a break. There might be weeks when you feel energized by and enthused about your training plan. While it’s possible to train every day-“as long as you’re managing intensity and the impact that each workout has on your joints, nervous system, etc,” he adds-there’s a difference between can and should.
#2 rest days in a row how to
Here, Kurt Ellis, C.S.C.S., owner and coach at Beyond Numbers Performance, shares how to maximize your rest days so you can plan a balanced routine and come back from your days off feeling stronger. But how many rest days do you really need to optimize your recovery? What if you’re training for a race or pushing for a PR? Taking time off when you have a goal staring back at you can be difficult-so how long should you break before you get back into your workout plan? How many rest days are needed in a week of training? You can try to use it, but you'll probably wind up getting hurt after too many reps. THE IDEA THAT you need a “no days off” mentality to accomplish your fitness goals is an antiquated concept of old-school gym culture as useful these days as a rusty barbell.
