Most athletes understand that adequate rest after exercise is critical to peak performance. However, many people still feel terrible when they have a day off. Understanding the numerous advantages of taking a day off can help alleviate this guilt. Rest, for example, is physically required for muscles to recover, renew, and strengthen. Therefore, rest days and active recovery can help recreational athletes balance their daily lives and fitness goals. The recommended recovery period is 48-72 hours for the targeted muscles.
The Advantages of a Rest Day
Rest days are essential for all levels of athletes. Getting enough sleep has both physiological and psychological advantages.
Encourages Muscle Recovery
Exercise drains the body’s energy reserves, often known as muscle glycogen. It also leads muscle tissue to deteriorate. Allowing enough time for muscular recovery helps the body ” fix ” these problems by restoring energy stores and rebuilding damaged tissues. The performance will suffer if you do not take enough time off to refill glycogen stores and allow your muscles to recover from damage. Continued neglect for replenishment might result in chronic muscle tightness and pain.
Aids in Overcoming Adaptation
According to the adaptation principle, when we subject our bodies to the stress of physical exercise, they adjust and become more effective. It’s the same as learning a new skill. It’s challenging at first, but it soon becomes second nature. Once you’ve adapted to one type of stress, you’ll need more to keep moving forward.
However, there are limitations to how much stress the body can withstand before breaking down and injuring itself. For example, too much work done too quickly may result in injury or damage to muscles. On the other hand, not doing enough too slowly will not yield any results. This is why personal trainers design programs that gradually increase duration and intensity while allowing rest days.
Avoids Overtraining
Overtraining syndrome can occur when there is insufficient rest and recuperation time. It is estimated that 60% of top athletes and 30% of non-elite endurance athletes suffer from this illness. And once you’ve got it, it might be challenging to get rid of. Overtraining has numerous drawbacks. According to research, it can increase body fat, increase your risk of dehydration, impair your libido, and worsen your mood.
Relaxation is Encouraged
Taking a day off also allows your mind and body to recharge and protects your schedule from being overly congested. Spend extra time with family and friends on your free day. Replace your regular exercise time with a hobby. It is all about balance when it comes to living a healthy life. It entails figuring out how to divide your time between home, your job, and your fitness program. Taking a day off allows you to focus on these other areas while allowing your body the time to recuperate from your workouts.
What Exactly Is Short-Term Recovery?
Short-term healing happens in the hours following vigorous activity. It could involve completing low-intensity activity throughout your workout’s cool-down period, which has been related to improved performance. It could also include eating the correct foods and liquids after exercise to replenish glycogen or muscle reserves and fluids while improving protein synthesis.9
What to Do on a Day Off
On a rest day, you can engage in two types of recuperation: passive recovery and active recovery. Passive recovery entails refraining from exercising for the entire day. Active recovery is when you participate in low-intensity activity with little to no stress on your body.
Sleep is also essential. Get lots of rest, especially if you’re working out hard. Even one or two nights of insufficient sleep can reduce performance during sustained bouts of activity, but not peak performance. Consistently poor sleep, on the other hand, can cause hormonal alterations, notably those connected to stress, hormones associated with stress, muscle repair, muscle development, and, worst of all, performance. For example, sleep deprivation can cause an increase in cortisol (a stress hormone), a decrease in human growth hormone activity (which is needed for tissue repair), and a decrease in glycogen synthesis.
Signs You Need a Day Off
Regardless of your fitness routine, paying attention to your body is critical. It will notify you if it needs a break day, even if it is a day when you should be exercising. Overtraining symptoms most typically reported included:
- Overall fatigue.
- An inexplicable decline in performance (usually lasting between a week and one month).
- Musculoskeletal pains and aches.
If you are irritated, moody, have trouble sleeping, lack of appetite, or are depressed or upset, this could indicate that you are overworking yourself. In addition, stress at work or home is a further incentive to take a day off and allow your entire body to relax and recover.
What should I eat on a day off?
A rest day food that aids recovery from intense workouts includes protein (to help in muscle repair and growth) and carbohydrates (to replenish glycogen stores). Working with a nutritionist can assist you in determining how much of each you require. Try at least one rest day every seven to ten days if the strength training and cardio are high-intensity.
Kim’s Final Thoughts…
The number of rest days required depends on the intensity of your workout. If you participate in high-intensity physical exercise, it is recommended that you arrange a rest day every seven to ten days. The body works to heal soft tissue during active recovery. Active recovery promotes blood circulation, which aids in clearing waste products produced by muscle breakdown due to exercise. Then new blood can enter, bringing nutrients to help restore and rebuild the muscles. Pay attention to your body. Schedule additional rest days if necessary.
