There are so many people who regularly exercise that have adopted the “no pain no gain” mentality. I used to be one of them. I mean it makes sense, the more you exercise, the less you rest, the better, right? In reality, rest & recovery are actually two crucial elements to practice if you want to attain long-term success with your health and fitness goals.
Rest vs. Recovery:
Recovery is defined as returning to a better state, and rest is defined as inactivity. What’s the difference? Taking a rest day would mean that you plan on being inactive and not partaking in much physical activity. Taking a recovery day would mean that you would be consciously doing something to help yourself recover.
Why is it important though? Rest Days:
When we weight train or do any form of resistance training our muscles are essentially breaking down. Taking a rest day enables them to be put back together and begin to rebuild. To get really technical, when we resistance train our muscles receive tiny, microscopic tears. Most of this is due to do repeatedly undergoing contractions. It is especially important to take rest days to reduce your risk of injury. Think about it, if you’re resistance training / weight training seven days a week that means for seven straight days your muscles are receiving those microscopic tears. If you never take a rest day, your muscles won’t have the chance to repair and begin to rebuild.
I can completely understand the desire to not want to stop your momentum and take a rest day, but it really is essential for long term health and fitness success. How often should you rest? I typically take 1-2 rest days a week. There are some weeks where I’ll take more if I feel like I need it. If you are just starting out, resting just a little bit more could be beneficial to you because your body is not used to undergoing the strain being put on it. If you have been doing this years, you also need to rest as well as everyone, including professional athletes, need a day or two for their bodies to put themselves back together.
Why is it important though? Recovery Days:
More often than not, I turn my designated rest days into a recovery day. As we discussed earlier, recovery means returning to a better state. So now we know that when we weight train/resistance train our muscles are undergoing microscopic tears. Taking a recovery day is consciously doing something to help those tears rebuild and put themselves back together. Recovery days are just as important as taking a rest day because sometimes our muscles need the extra support in their efforts to rebuild.
What can I do on a recovery day? Some of my favorite recovery day activities are mobilizing, stretching, or going for a walk. There are also several other things you can do to recover like getting a massage, using a stim-machine, or light yoga. How many recovery days should I take a week? I typically like to make one of my designated rest days a recovery day. Just like with rest days, its essential to recover whether you a beginner or professional.
Don’t buy into the “no pain no gain” mentality. Make sure you are taking adequate rest and recovery days. What do you like to do on your rest and recovery days? Comment below and let us know!
I can understand the pain and I totally agree with you that relaxation is very important. Thanks for sharing this stress relieving article 🙂
You’re welcome 🙂
Yes, I have to remind myself that rest days are okay. Sometimes I just want to jog all the time, but there are days that I need to relax the muscles. My knee hurts some days, so I’m sure they appreciate the time off.
Rest is just as important as the actual workout
Jeez… I’ve always lived with this “no pain no gain” mentality. I have been so screwed! Thanks for sharing this!
Laura
http://www.wanderwithola.com
You’re welcome! Rest is just as important as exercise 🙂
Thanks for the rest vs. recovery distinction. 1-2 days off a week worked well for me when I was in a 6 week boot camp program. My body needed it!!
Awesome! I’m glad you saw some benefits from taking your days off 🙂
You have to rest on top of working out so much, otherwise it’s not healthy! Great post.
Agreed & thanks!
You shared very helpful information. Im planning to start working out, this post came at the perfect time!
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My sister is into fitness big time and at first she was the no pain no gain girl but now she practices rest and recovery. Great post
Awesome, rest & recovery really are essential.
Rest days are the hardest to swallow but this article does an excellent job of explaining why they’re so important!
Rest days really are! But thank you 🙂
I agree with you 100%. I know people that want to work out 7 days a week and I’ve tried explaining to them that their body needs rest 1 to 2 days a week.
Rest is so essential!
I am really having a hard time maintaining a routine because of work and I’ve noticed that if I take long breaks from working out, I really lose motivation to go back. What do you think is wrong with me? Hahaha
It can be so hard to maintain an exercise routine while working a crazy, hectic schedule. Try your best to avoid taking long breaks from working out. Even if you can only squeeze in a quick walk on your lunch break, keep reminding yourself of your end goal and why you want to exercise!
I used to think the more your exercise the better and taking ares day is no necessary. Now I know better.
Awesome, thats’s great!
You’re so right. While someone is on a fitness routine just as many usually are, it is important to always have rest and recovery days once in a while in order to return back to proper shape. I love this!
Thanks!
I need more rest and it would be ideal to finally get some. Recovery is not often a priority.
Rest & Recovery are two essential components, do your best to make recovery a priority as well.
I get needing to turn the rest day into a recovery day sometimes. I do that quite a bit honestly. I go back and forth between the workouts.
I find that after a recovery day I feel better than I do after just a rest day.
This is great! I used to be one of those people who would not rest. I realized how I wasn’t letting my muscle rest, ultimately not letting them grow.
Exactly! & Thanks 🙂
Ive always heard that rest days are important, but you broke it down for me in a way that I can understand! I’ve actually started working with a personal trainer and I was wondering why we do cardio daily, but weights every other day. Happy to know that a rest day is allowing my muscles to rebuild!
Awesome, good luck with your personal trainer! Resting really is essential for muscle recovery and growth!
I never really understood the difference between rest and recovery. Thank you for clarifying. On my rest days I usually just sit around the house. I’m not too exciting when I take a day off.
I used to just sit around the house too! Once I decided to switch my rest days to recovery days I feel that I was able to perform my workouts better!
Agree, rest days are very important. I work out 2 days and I rest 1. I do have knee pains pretty often and this skedule really helps me. Of course, there would be weeks when I fell like I have more energy and then it would be 3 days of workout and 1 rest.
That’s great, continue to go at your own pace and do what feels best for you!
Resting is very important. But I figured out the wrong way that resting for too long can reduce your insurance. For example, I think one time I was able to run 4 miles straight. Then my sisters drove down from Chicago for a week and I didn’t run, so when I woke up to run as soon as I hit 2 miles I was so tired and I had to turn around. Thanks for sharing!
LOL I can only imagine. Taking too many rest days in a row can have us feeling all out of whack for sure!