August is here - I read somewhere that August is like the summer's Sunday and it is true! Slowly we start adjusting to everyday life again, school, work etc. I'm a lucky one, I'll be leaving for Greece next week to celebrate the last working year for me is official over! I'll be starting university this September. Freaked out much?
Well, this post is not about important things like Greece, but it is about something important though! I guess the headline sais it all? Yep, we're talking rest days! I chose this subject because it is very relevant for myself these days. The active girls I'm following on Tumblr keep mentioning this and I know if you just started working out or haven't started yet a rest day sounds like the best thing in the entire world! But I am this far in my addiction to exercising that I have a really hard time going just one day without it. Especially now when I'm leaving for Greece in a week, things need to speed up and I don't feel like I can miss one day's workout. This is bulls***! Pardon my French. Rest days are so important and I need you all to remember this! Because many people forget this when they start feeling the addiction of exercising!
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| Some days you need this more than the gym - and it's okay! |
So do something else on your rest days - make them fun! Go to the beach, go shopping, see some of those friends you haven't seen in a while because you had to work out! Go go go have a life! Or you could, like me, watch all the tv you normally can't!
"Well, why are rest days so darn important then", you might ask. There are a million good reasons and I'll give them right now:
TISSUE REPAIR:
The first reason to stay home from the gym! Like it or not, when you are lifting weights your body is actually making damage to the muscle tissue and this is not a bad thing because that's what makes them grow - but after damage follows repairing and you need to respect your body for that. You'll be feeling those sore muscles for days if you've been doing it correct and hard enough.
REPLENISHES ENERGY STORES:
What the hell does replenish means, right? Don't worry, I had to google it too. It basically means rebuilding something - in this case energy stores. This makes perfect sense to all I hope! If you take a rest day your body will be even more ready to a H.I.T class, crossfit, weight lifting etc. the day after tomorrow.
KEEPS THE MOTIVATION:
Yep, you might end up hating exercising if you keep pushing yourself every single day! Don't get me wrong, people do that for a living - but for us just doing it as a hobby you need to take a break or else you'll have a bad time. I myself are definitely not there yet, but I think you really need to be careful. Make your workouts a reward, not a punishment and these rest days will also come more easily.
DECREASES RISK OF INJURY:
Also pretty simple. Don't push your legs/arms/stomach to maximum every single day, your body don't like that! You can push yourself, I love people who push themself, but keep it realistic. People who run 10 km a day, every day - it's a fact that their knees are ruined as they hit 40. Not cool! Respect your body!
So yeah, I think those were some pretty awesome reasons to keep it down - how many restdays you need I actually can't tell. It depends on your workouts and how long you're at it. But just always use your brain. If you feel your knee is stupid or your body is impossible to work with take a break that day.
Go easy on yourself!
