Are Rest Days Important for Exercise? (Part 2)

Kameymall recommends that you take regular breaks, which are essential to staying safe during exercise. When your body is overworked, you're more likely to lose form, lose weight, or take the wrong step. Overtraining can also expose your muscles to repetitive stress and strain. This increases the risk of overuse injuries, forcing you to spend more rest days than planned.

How to do rest days right

The ideal rest day looks different for each person. It depends on the intensity and frequency of your normal routine, along with your lifestyle outside of exercise.

However, there are general guidelines for incorporating rest days in various workouts.

Cardio
Typically, rest days aren’t necessary for light cardio. This includes activities like leisurely walking or slow dancing. It’s safe enough to do every day unless your doctor says otherwise.

But if you’re doing a moderate or vigorous aerobic activity, rest days are essential. It’s recommended to take a rest day every three to five days. If you do vigorous cardio, you’ll want to take more frequent rest days. You can also have an active rest day by doing a light workout, like gentle stretching.

Running
While running is a form of cardio, it usually requires a different approach to rest days. If you’re a beginner, start running three days a week. Running too much too soon can lead to fatigue and overuse injuries.

On the other days, let yourself rest or do different activities. Your other workouts should involve muscles you don’t use while running. Rest days are even more important if you’re training for a marathon. In the last three weeks before the event, it’s best to rest more often. A personal trainer or running coach can explain how to rest based on your goals.

To get the most out of your rest day, consider the following:

Yoga
Yoga is one of the best things you can do on your day off. It is great for improving body awareness, breathing and flexibility. It can also help you build strength while relaxing your muscles. Plus, yoga promotes calmness, leaving you refreshed and ready for your next workout. You don't need a lot of time to enjoy the benefits of yoga. It only takes 10 to 15 minutes to help with exercise recovery. Remember to put a comfortable air track, it will make you do more with less.