The best way to optimize your rest days is with active recovery. Active recovery is light activity like walking, stretching, or playing with your dog in the park.
We’ll talk about how to optimize your rest days by incorporating active recovery into your routine (plus a lot more info you don’t want to miss). Let’s start from the top so that we’re on the same page…
What is a Rest Day?
Simply put, a “rest day” is a day you don’t workout. Rest days are typically scheduled into a workout program. They are an important part of a health and wellness routine.
Rest days are intentionally placed into a workout routine to ensure adequate rest and proper recovery. They also help avoid injury and burn out. It’s important to make the most out of your rest days with these helpful tips.
How to Optimize Rest Days
Active Recovery
Active recovery is light movement or an activity you enjoy that is good for your body and mind. Active recovery can be yoga, stretching, or a leisurely walk at the park.
Active recovery improves blood flow which helps the recovery process. Blood brings nourishment into your cells and helps remove waste build up.
It also keeps the momentum you’ve built up by keeping you disciplined.
Plan rest days into your schedule
Your rest days will vary based on your schedule and responsibilities, but including rest days into your workout routine is essential.
You shouldn’t feel guilty for taking a day off or wonder if you should go to the gym or not. You can rest assured knowing that a well planned rest day is actually helping your progress.
You can do whatever you want on rest day. Some people do active recovery or light stretching, walking yoga or just relax and do something you enjoy like a hobby or hanging out with family and friends.
Lay by the pool, work in the garden, or anything else to refresh your body and mind.
The point is to give your body and mind a break form the intensity of training. That way you come back strong and with renewed energy.
Rest days are perfect to put your feet up and relax. Plan ahead so you have something to look forward too. Because if you’re used to training you might feel anxious to do something since your body expects it.
Remember to Relax and Reduce Stress
Too much stress interferes with your recovery process. Stress drains your internal battery and saps valuable energy that could be used to recover.
Spend rest days doing something you enjoy. It can be a day out with family and friends. Or it can be a day lounging around the house watching Netlfix or reading a good book on the sofa. If needed, clear your calendar and have a “you day” to do whatever you want without stress or guilt.
Bonus points if you do meal prep on your rest day. Prepare healthy meals and prepare for the week ahead. Do whatever you need to do to feel at ease to make the most of your well-earned rest day.
Rest More after Intense Workouts
A good rule of thumb is rest more after intense exercise. You might need a day or two to recover after an intense workout. That’s perfectly fine.
If you train with maximum effort today you might want to take a rest day tomorrow. Of course the amount of rest days you take will vary based on your training program, conditioning, fitness goals, and your body’s natural ability to recover.
But taking a day or two off to rest after an intense workout is normal, so rest up if you feel like you need it.
Eat well
Proper nutrition is important for recovery. Make the most of each rest day by eating good meals.
Listen to your body and stick to wholesome, all-natural foods. Your body needs the protein, healthy fats and other vital nutrients to rebuild.
Hydrate
Drink plenty of clean pure water throughout the day. Minimum 64 ounces of fresh water per day. Drink more water on days that you train.
Bonus tip
You can only burn the candle at both ends for so long. Intelligently planned rest days are an important part of any workout routine. Training days and rest days have a Yin-Yang relationship that work together to ensure long term health and harmony.
Evaluate how you feel after each workout. Check in with yourself to see how you respond to your training. Are you sore? Are you more tired than usual? Use this information to make plans and decisions about how often and how hard to workout.
All of these tips work together to make optimize your rest days. You need good food, sound sleep, and a calm mind to make the most of you training routine and get the best results possible.
What are the Benefits of Rest Days?
Here’s some bonus content for you.
Rest Days = Better Results
You get stronger while you rest. Rest days let your body recover from training – Muscles, tendons, bones and body tissues need time to repair after a workout.
Strenuous exercise actually damages your muscle and body tissues slightly. Your body rebuilds itself outside of the gym.
Better Focus
Rest days refresh your mind. Workouts take energy and mental focus. Rest days help keep you from feeling drained.
Strengthen Your Central Nervous System
Tough workouts tax your Central Nervous System. Your CNS requires sufficient rest in order to recuperate and maintain healthy energy levels.
More energy
Rest days allow you to recharge your batteries. We only have so much energy to go around and rest days help you use it to the fullest.
Rather than expelling energy on sprints or burpees, your energy is used to recover and grow stronger and healthier.
Training hard everyday without enough rest will ware you down because you never have a chance to fully recover.
When your body is healthy and strong you become filled with energy. This makes you feel alert, confident, and live with a sense of wellbeing. They are an important part of your training routine.
Stay Motivated
Come back stronger and with new enthusiasm. Coming back to the gym after a rest day is like coming back to work after a long vacation – you feel refreshed, renewed and ready to take care of business.
That’s because you had time to unwind and give yourself space to grow.
Giving yourself a much needed mental and physical break with a rest day is a good thing. It helps you refocus and come back better.
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