How Important Are Rest Days When Working Out?

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of embarking on a new fitness routine. You’re energised, enthusiastic and motivated, and ready to smash your exercise goals.

When you’re in this early phase, it’s tempting to set yourself a goal of working out every single day especially when you start to see results and feel like you’re totally in the zone! You might even be worried that taking a day off will interrupt your momentum.

But there are many reasons why incorporating rest days into your exercise routine is important for your body and your mind.

• When you exercise, your muscle tissue develops microscopic tears. Rest days give your cells an opportunity to heal and grow back stronger, so regular days off will actually help you to build muscle over time.
• While there is no doubt that working out is good for our bodies, exercise does stimulate the release of cortisol which is a stress hormone. Rest days give our body a break and ensure that we are not producing cortisol to excess levels, potentially leading to burnout.
• Including regular rest days will help make your exercise routine more flexible and sustainable. Allowing yourself to take a day off without guilt is more likely to help you build long term exercise habits.
• You may experience muscle pain and soreness, particularly when you first start exercising or increase the intensity of your workouts. Rest days can help alleviate this discomfort and help your body adjust to increased levels of activity.
• Regular rest periods will reduce your chances of experiencing an injury. Overexercising will fatigue your body and your brain, and you will be more likely to have bad form, lose your balance, or even trip or stumble.
• The energy stored in your muscles is called glycogen, which is depleted by exercise. When your glycogen levels are low you will experience muscle fatigue, so rest periods give your muscles a chance to replenish their glycogen stores and get ready for their next workout.

BeFit Hire has been providing the highest standard of service to its customers for more than 50 years, and is proud of its heritage as a family owned business.

BeFit Hire offers the safety and convenience of exercising on professional equipment in your own home, with a comprehensive range of home fitness equipment available including treadmills, upright and recumbent exercise bikes, manual and programmable cross-trainers or rowing machines

Every piece of BeFit Hire equipment is tested, cleaned, and disinfected prior to delivery and contactless delivery is available if required. We also offer free delivery to most of metro Adelaide and Melbourne for most hire periods, and look forward to helping you find the right piece of equipment to meet your specific needs.

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