Why rest days are just as important as workout days

Exercise is an essential part of staying healthy. But it’s not as simple as the more exercise you do, the healthier you are. Not including rest days in your exercise routine can put you at risk of burnout or injury.

Rest and recovery are necessary parts of helping you become fitter, stronger and healthier. They’re also crucial when it comes to maintaining motivation and discipline, particularly when it comes to weight management.

Rest days are an essential part of an exercise routine.

Rest is a physiological process that allows your muscles to repair and rebuild. If you don’t have enough recovery time, it can prevent your body rebuilding.

This can result in tiredness, muscle soreness and increased risk of injury.

“Exercise stresses the body; it works your cardio and aerobic system and causes small tears in your muscles which make them stronger when they repair,” explains Exercise Physiologist, Jack Walker.

“Outside of exercise, the quality of your sleep, your stress levels and your nutrition are the biggest factors in making sure the exercise you do is going to get you fitter and stronger. Rest days are really important for anyone when they’re training properly.”

“It’s recommended that you have 24 to 48 hours recovery time after a resistance training session,” says Jack. “If you’re training 3 or 4 days a week, ideally you’d be having 2 or 3 days of recovery.”

Rest is a normal part of any well-designed training plan, and not a sign of laziness. However, rest doesn’t always mean doing nothing.

There are different types of rest:

This is complete time off from training. It means avoiding exertion and trying to relax your body and mind.

“This might include taking a nap, reading a book or having a long bath. This is important if you’re injured, in pain, or very tired,” says Jack.

Active recovery involves low intensity movement such as walking, yoga or swimming. This can help reduce the lactic acid buildup in muscles, increase blood flow and keep muscles flexible.

“Active recovery can help you recover more quickly after a hard workout. It shouldn’t stress the body a lot,” says Jack.

This type of recovery targets your nervous system.

It’s designed to put your body into a parasympathetic state which helps relax your body. It’s excellent after intense exercising or in periods of high stress. It might include mediation or soft tissue massage.

Lifting weights causes microscopic tears in muscle fibres.

“When the body repairs itself, it helps muscles become stronger and bigger. This repair can only happen during periods of rest,” says Jack.

Exercise depletes the glycogen stores in the body, which give you energy. Rest days allow the body to take in and store carbohydrates to replenish this energy.

Rest days are shown to prevent injury. Not resting your body can make you tired and more likely to sustain an injury or have an overuse injury.¹

On a rest day, it’s good to have a mix of passive rest, like relaxing, sleeping, or taking a gentle bath, with active recovery, like light walking, gentle yoga, or stretching.

This mix helps your muscles repair, restores energy, reduces soreness, and supports both physical and mental wellbeing without putting extra stress on your body.

Passive rest is best for times when you’re very tired, ill, or have been doing intense training.

“During these times it’s important to focus on sleep, hydration, balanced nutrition, and stress management,” says Jack.

“Eating a good mix of protein and carbohydrates will help repair muscle and restore your energy.”

Gentle movement can aid circulation, reduce stiffness, and speed up recovery. Good active recovery exercises include:

• Walking or light cycling
• Gentle yoga or Pilates
• Swimming or aqua aerobics
• Stretching or mobility exercises

“Light movement like this helps with overall fitness and also means your body isn’t being overloaded,” says Jack.

Consider taking 2 to 3 rest days a week. You might need more or less depending on your age, fitness level and workout intensity.

“It’s important to listen to your body rather than following a rigid schedule,” says Jack.

These signs show you might need a rest day:

• Persistent soreness or fatigue
• Drop in performance
• Elevated resting heart rate
• Poor sleep or mood swings
• Feeling unmotivated or irritable

In order to make rest days a regular part of your routine, it’s important to plan them.

“Aim to have a rest day every 3 to 4 days of training,” says Jack. “You should always listen to your body though, flexibility is key.”

“It’s ok to change your routine according to how you feel rather than having to stick to a rigid routine. Remember that a successful exercise routine is about consistency rather than high intensity every day. In the long term this will help you get stronger and fitter.”

Better Health Channel gives information and advice on how to move your body and improve your health.

HealthDirect gives information and resources about the health benefits of different types of exercise.