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!
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