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Signs You Need A Rest Day
When we are feeling super eager to see results in the gym, we may often push ourselves too far. As motivated as you may be to keep getting back into the gym and grinding through your workouts, it’s important that you’re giving your body some rest and recovery especially if you want to reach your goal as fast as possible. If recovery is neglected for too long you’ll over train and put your body at risk of injury. When you train you are essentially causing trauma to your body. When you lift weights, you tear your muscle fibres so they can regrow bigger and stronger. Without the proper rest, there isn’t enough time for your muscles to grow back. It is vital that you listen to your body before pushing your limits to the maximum. The last thing you want is to risk getting injured or sick from overtraining.
Here are some common signs and symptoms your body might be experiencing when it’s being overworked and needs a day off or two:
- YOU’RE TIRED FOR NO REASON
If you know you are getting the recommended 7-10 hours of sleep, but still feel sore, exhausted and fatigued, this probably means it’s time to take a rest day or two. Give your mind and muscles a break from your intense workouts and allow them to be repaired and revived over a day or two. Your body properly transforms during sleep and while resting, so be sure to give your body the time it needs to give you the results you want to see.
- YOU’RE ALWAYS FEEL SORE
Whilst feeling sore a day or two after a workout is normal from the delayed onset muscle soreness, you shouldn’t be feeling sore constantly. Muscles need anywhere from 24-72 hours to recover. If you plan to train but still feel sore, train a different muscle group or don’t train at all. Training when your muscles are sore makes it harder for you to maintain good form and perform your best. Give your muscles time to fully recover and rebuild before they are broken down again. Soreness is your body’s way of telling you that it needs more energy to recover and repair itself. If you’re sore in the same muscles for more than a few days or even weeks, you’re not covering and could be overtraining your muscles. It’s important to take rest days and find the right recovery protocols that work best for your body to ensure that you aren’t experiencing extreme soreness.
- YOU’RE PAST FEW WORKOUTS HAVE BEEN POOR
A ‘poor’ workout is subjective, but once you start to notice that your usual workouts seem much harder than usual, it’s time to take a break. If you don’t feel any better after you’ve warmed up, you are probably too tired for the workout. Pushing yourself to workout will only make things worse and further exhaust your already weak body. Give yourself a well deserved break and take a couple days off.
- YOU’RE MOODY
Staying active and exercising can help improve your mood and boost your serotonin. But overtraining can result in the opposite. You’ll begin to feel mentally fatigued, as if you’re starting to get sick. If overtraining can even lead to depression if it happens over prolonged periods of time due to the stress on the central nervous and hormone system. If you’re in tune with your body you should realise that your mood is gradually nose diving such as a bad night’s sleep or uncharacteristic moodiness. You don’t need to fully cut your training down, add in an extra rest day or lighten up on the weights and deload your training.
Just because you’re in need of a rest day, doesn’t mean that you have to stop all activity in general. Remain active on your rest day by going for a low intensity walk, hike, swim, or bike ride. Sometimes sitting and doing nothing can worsen the soreness. Get outside for some fresh air and add some light movement to your day, you’ll feel a lot better and a bit more energised. Pair that with a good night’s rest and you’ll be back at the gym in no time.
Whether you’re taking it easy on your rest day, going for a walk or bike ride, or pushing your limits in the gym, Avvini Athletica have the active wear to suit any workout environment. Check out our range of seamless, scrunch bum and pocket leggings and shorts, pair them with a crop top or sports bra to complete your look.
Whether you’re working out in the gym or taking a leisurely stroll, we’d love to see your gym fit! Tag us @avviniathletica so we can see how you put together your best fit and re-share it.
