Why are people so afraid of rest? It's as if being busy is a badge of honor.  And rest is for the unmotivated.  But is that really the case?   I have a friend that started her fitness journey before the holidays.  But, she is afraid of taking a day off.  In her mind, taking a day off means that she is more likely not to go back to the gym.  It’s a slippery slope that ends with her giving up her new healthy lifestyle.

I totally get that train of thought.  Why would you want to intentionally take a day of rest when you could workout?  Well, here's the thing.  Rest is an important part of training.  Whether you are trying to get stronger or run a faster mile time, rest is ESSENTIAL to reaching your goal.

Rest plays to important functions in your fitness. *I am not a doctor or scientist, this is just what I have learned from my own experiences.  Rest gives your muscles time to relax and recover.  When you workout you stress your muscles.  If you do it every day, your muscles never have time to rebuild from the stress.  Rest allows your muscles the time to rebuild and get stronger.  The second piece is the mental side of taking a rest.  Just like your muscles, your brain needs time to rest and recover.  Have you ever had a very emotional day?  Then, you take a power nap and you feel 1,000% better?   That is what goes on in your brain when you take a day off.  It gets a chance to reset and refocus. 

To complicate things a little more, I believe in two types of rest day.  There is active rest and total rest.  Active rest means you continue to move your body but in a way that does not cause any stress.  This could be a nice afternoon walk, restorative yoga or stretching while watching TV.  Total rest means exactly that.  You don't work out or move your body at all.  For those that struggle with taking a rest day, I recommend trying active rest first.  It's a good way to ease yourself into the idea of resting. But remember, active rest means you are NOT getting your heart rate up.   

At this point, I guess you are thinking…"Sure Sarah, self-care, rest, taking a day off.  None of this will happen. Blah blah blah".  Personally, I plan a rest day every week.  I take every Monday off as a rest day.  Because I plan it, I don't feel guilty.  It is just part of what I do and is part of my routine.  You may decide to pick a day of the week.  Or, you can pick you day based on how your body feels.  Maybe you wake up in the morning and your legs feel like jello…that might be a good day to take a rest.  Or, maybe you fall asleep right after dinner and sleep for 9-10 hours.  This might be your body telling you it needs a rest.  Listen to it!

Bottom line, rest is just as important as working out.  You just have to figure out how/when rest will benefit you the most.  I give you permission to take a rest day.  Your body will thank you for it. 

Let me know what you think about taking rest days in the comments! What works for you?