Staying healthy and fit also means you need to Rest and take a break from working out occasionally, something fitness trainers call a ‘rest day’. Overworking yourself will most likely lead to an injury that might just have you bed ridden for a month or two. You can read our blogpost about choosing the best inversion for you and decide which inversion table can suit your budget and needs.

Rest days, may seem like a waste, but they’re actually quite beneficial to your overall vision of either burning fat or building muscle. They help provide your body with extra time to recover and rebuild tissue that has been lost. It’s like how sleeping properly helps you stay awake for the rest of the day, it merely helps you recharge your body. They’re important, whether you’re only body-building, weight lifting, or merely trying to burn fat.

But then how do you determine when it is that you would need a rest day? Or even if you require such conditioning? Your body, luckily, has its own way of letting you know when you require one of these days off.

When It Is That You Would Need A Rest Day ?

1. Elevated resting heart rate.

Generally, a sign indicating high stress levels, high physical stress can cause your Resting Heart Rate to be higher than usual. You can keep track of your heart rate either by buying a smartwatch, or checking your pulse rate physically every morning.

2. Losing too much weight in the span of 24 hours.

Losing around 1 to 2 kg in a day itself can be a result of low bodily fluids. Dehydration can result in low physical as well as mental capabilities, and could reduce your usual efficiency at the gym the next day.

3. Being moody and cranky.

With your stress levels at a high, hormones like cortisol will be swimming through your blood stream in high levels, while reducing the level of dopamine, the feel-good hormone, in your system. This can result in your mood being similar to a PMS-ing woman.

4. Catching the local flu.

If you’re going to the gym at a healthier rate, you shouldn’t be getting sick in the first place. Overworking yourself can lead to your immune system getting weaker than usual.

5. You’re always sore.

Muscle soreness is quite a normal feeling after a workout, especially if you’re just starting out or simply switching techniques, but if it follows you around for a few days, or even if it keeps occurring when practising your usual routine, you need a rest day. Persistent muscle soreness, coupled with sickness and increasing number of injuries are huge indicators of a future serious health risk. It’s better to take a rest day then.

6. Bad performance in the gym.

Regarding your quality of workout, not quantity, feeling a sense of dissatisfaction after a workout can be equated as a bad performance, especially if it’s a repeated travesty. Feeling sluggish and tired during your workout also counts as bad performance.

7. Low energy levels.

Getting tired too easily during a routine you’ve been practising for a while is a show of how much you need a rest day. This can also be a result of poor diet plans, or the simple fact that you’ve been exercising more than you’ve been consuming food. Trying to push through it isn’t the healthiest of choices if it’s been quite a long time since you had a rest day.

8. Your pee is dark yellow.

Dehydration shows in your pee, so a dark yellow colour refers to a low body-fluid level. Less water results in slower recovery rate, which results in you having to extend your recovery time by requiring a rest day.

9. Can’t sleep.

You’re apparently as tired as you can be, but you just can’t seem to go to sleep. In a scenario similar to that, or even one where your sleep isn’t as smooth and deep as it usually can be, you need a rest day. Bad sleep can result in your immune system slowing down, along with decreasing reaction time regarding your motor and cognitive skills.

10. Low oxygen levels.

A high percentage of oxygen in the haemoglobin of your red blood cells refers to healthy state of mind, and a stronger immune system. But Low Oxygen Levels require longer periods of time to recover, something observed when exercising in higher altitudes, therefore lower oxygen levels require a rest day ahead.

Now that you’ve understood just what to look for to take a rest day, or a week, depending on how many times you need it to occur, be sure to pay attention while attending the gym, not even resorting to a light workout. Taking no rest days at all, especially when you need one, can result in injuries that could last you a lifetime, making it very necessary for your well-being.

Do let us know what you thought of this article, as well as your own tips on understanding the requirement of a rest day, in the comment section below.

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