Reasons to skip your workout & rest

Let me share with you a little secret: I am an Exercise junky, but that’s not all! If I can’t make it to the gym at least 5 days a week, I feel down, irritated and even a little depressed. However, I still manage to keep my gym addiction under control and take a 2 days rest every week.

Now although I am not very thrilled about those days, they are very important for my Body and overall health and fitness. I have learned that the hard way. This is why today I am sharing with you the reasons why you need to take a break from the gym to get the results you desire and a kickass body!

Why rest days are important:

Contrary to what you may think, failing to give your body a rest is counterintuitive. Actually, it can cause your body more harm than good and lead to plateauing and even injuries. Below are the reasons why you need a break:

• Your muscles need to recover & grow

Many types of workouts can cause little tears in your muscles. These tears can only be repaired when you are resting. Moreover, this break or “repair” period is what helps your muscles get stronger and leaner. So although you should work your muscles hard, you should also give them time to repair and recover.

• Your body can plateau

A few months back, I was hitting the gym on a daily basis and following a very strict diet. When I measured my body fat percentage during that period, I noticed an unexpected increase. Little did I know then that too much exercise can put my body into a fight or flight mode where it will store fat instead of burning it off! Furthermore, I found that too much of the same exercise can cause your body to plateau with no room for further improvement.

See Also: What Exercise Myths Should You Completely Disregard?

• It can make you overtired

If done adequately, exercising can give you great bursts of energy and can make you feel healthier and stronger. However, overdoing it can deplete your overall energy levels leaving you feeling tired and exhausted all the time. Your body will let you know when it needs a break, make sure you listen to it to avoid fatigue and injuries.

• It can mess up your sleep cycle

To me, sleep is sacred! If I don’t get 7-8 hours of sleep each night, I wake up feeling irritated, tired and moody. While exercising moderately can help you fix your sleeping cycle, overdoing it on a regular basis can disrupt your sleeping schedule. Since sleep is important for repairing your muscles, you need to make sure you are getting enough of it.

See Also: How to Deal with Being too Embarrassed to Exercise

• It affects your immune system

When you train regularly, your body is using its energy to repair your muscles. This hinders its ability to fight off diseases such as the cold and the flue. This is why it is essential that you rest especially when you feel that your immune system is compromised. Otherwise, you may end up feeling sick and tired for much longer than necessary.

• It can hinder your social life

One way to keep the exercise motivation right on track is by balancing your fitness goals with your social life. Placing the gym as a priority over seeing friends or attending family gatherings can hinder your long term fitness plan. It can also cause a drift between you and your family, friends and loved ones.

• It can screw up your menstrual cycle

A women’s period plays a very important role in her hormone cycle. However, what many women fail to understand is that too much exercise can mess up this cycle or even stop it completely. This is a warning sign that the body is in desperate need of a break.

How do you ensure that your exercise is not causing you more stress? What do you do to avoid plateauing and injuries? Share with us your tips and advice in the comment section below.  

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