Food for Thought: The Benefits of a Rest and Recovery Day

If you've used any of the Beachbody workout videos, you've noticed that they all come with a workout schedule. Each day of the program is planned out, telling you exactly which video to do. And each week on that schedule, there is ALWAYS a day of rest.

This got me to thinking. There MUST be a reason behind this. After all, the Beachbody company wouldn't suggest taking one day off each week unless doing so was more beneficial than exercising every day.

So I did a little research to find out what the benefits of taking a weekly rest day are. And this is what I found...

Don't Over Do It!

When people start working out, there can be a tendency to overdo it. The thinking is often, if three workouts are good, then six must be twice as good. However, the reality is that high intensity exercise performed every day will eventually lead to burnout, boredom and injury.

The Benefits of Rest and Recovery

The benefits of resting are huge. A day or two off each week is essential to allow muscles, tendons and ligaments the time to repair themselves. Even if you experience little to no muscle soreness after your workouts, rest days are still important. Giving your entire body AND mind a full day off is necessary to regroup and get excited about the week to come. It gives you something to look forward to after a long week of working out.

There are also the health benefits of rest. Research supports the theory that the human immune response is at risk when over-training occurs. As a result, over-trained athletes or avid exercisers commonly suffer from ailments such as the common cold.

In the calendar provided by Beachbody, workouts are to be done Monday through Saturday, with Sunday reserved for rest. Beachbody also schedules different videos each day, rotating their use in order to work different parts of your body each day. This routine allows for adequate recovery between workouts as well as a full day of rest for full body and mind recuperation.
So remember not to feel bad about taking the time off. Recovery is an integral part of working out and vital to helping you achieve the fitness results you desire. Look forward to your day of rest and enjoy it. Use it as a reward after a week of hard work! I know I look forward to Sundays.