Three Signs You Need A Rest Day
If you have a set training plan, chances are that you may have a rest day scheduled each week. When you’re aiming for a running or workout streak, a rest day is certainty not high up on the list. If you’re doing your own programming and picking your workouts, you may not think you need a rest day. As we strive to reach our goals, it’s easy to believe that more is better. However, to continue to grow stronger our bodies need rest. Here are my three signs that your body needs a rest day.
Sign #1: Everything Hurts
Now hear me out. Being sore comes with the territory. Being in pain, does not. Only you know which signals to look for and tell which is which. Overuse injuries can happen if you don’t take a rest day so you will be in major pain even when you’re doing daily tasks. If you start running and each step feels like a knife is jabbing your legs, you need to rest. If you’re strength training but can’t lift as much as your normally do, there’s a good chance you’re fatigued and you need rest. Really listen to your body and see if you’re truly sore or on your way to injury.
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Sign #2: Very Exhausted
It seems like being tired is a badge of honor these days. When I was training for my last race, I had two workouts scheduled some days so I would be exhausted after lunch time. It’s fine to be tired if you’ve been getting back to your gym routine. It’s NOT okay to be so exhausted from all the time you’ve been spending at the gym that you fall asleep as soon as you sit down in a remotely comfortable chair. When I was pushing myself too hard, I had to chug coffee to stay awake which only let to a cycle of crashing and being tired all the time. If you cannot stay awake and feel sluggish, take a rest day so your body can reboot.
Sign #3: Can’t Remember Your Last Rest Day
This is a red flag. If you honestly cannot remember the last time you took a break from working out, you need a rest day. I’m not saying you have to be a complete couch potato (unless you want to be) but you really need to check in and make sure everything is okay. You don’t want to push your body too hard because you risk wearing yourself out and maybe even developing health problems. To reach your goals in a healthy way, you also need to rest and let your body recover.
Every day, I would do a self-assessment and see how everything feels. If you have been working hard and want to take a break, by all means, take one! Resting is an important part of exercising as it gives our body time to rebuild and come back stronger!
