Rest days - a neglected, but extremely important, part of the training process

The benefits of regular physical activity are being touted practically non-stop. However, it is true that physical activity, especially strength training, needs to be compensated by proper rest. When "rest day" is said, half of recreational athletes will respond with hyperbole with a question along the lines of "what is that, I don't have that phrase in my vocabulary". Jokes aside though, rest days aka rest days, are an integral part of the training process and although they are often overlooked, skipping them can lead to overtraining or injury. Today, let's take a look together at what such a rest day should look like and why to actually include them in your training program.

Theoretical window - what is a rest day?

A rest day is a short break from the training routine, which leads to the fact that in the end we will be able to perform consistently better and better and that we won't just stop enjoying our training. Incorporating recovery days into your training plan allows your body to absorb and consolidate the load you've been putting on it and allows your muscles to recover, adapt to the load and ultimately grow or get stronger.

Although a rest day is considered unnecessary by some athletes, the benefits of the fix are very extensive. To name a few, incorporating a rest day into a training program is, for example, an important prevention against injury, loss of motivation, burnout and overtraining, from which other difficulties arise - such as sleep problems, moodiness or depression. Furthermore, practicing rest days will help you relieve muscle soreness and tenderness, eliminating the risk of not enjoying the sport, and will also help you achieve much better results, be it in terms of endurance, strength, fitness, muscle building or fat reduction.

During a rest day, the body recharges energy, balances hormone levels, replenishes glycogen stores, and recovers sore muscles burdened by a hard workout the previous days. Contrary to popular belief, however, a rest day is not about lounging on the couch.

Or rather - it may or may not be. Rest day can be applied in the form of active rest. Active rest can be a walk, a light swim, yoga, a bike ride, a shorter lunge, or simply any activity other than your normal training focus. However, it's important to remember that even though the word active is in the phrase, it should primarily be some lighter activity that lets your aching body rest - so if you're compensating for fitness with something similarly strenuous, it's probably not the best choice.

How often should I practice rest days?

As with most areas relating to diet, exercise and healthy living as a whole, it's not going to be possible to give one single, universally valid answer. The number will depend on many factors - from physical disposition, to sports history, fitness, frequency and intensity of workouts, sleep patterns, and the ability to adequately nourish your body. There really are a lot of factors that come into play, so we have no choice but to each test for ourselves how many rest days we will need.

Generally speaking, beginners will need a rest day more often than more experienced individuals. The activity you engage in will also make a difference. Strength and power endurance athletes are advised to include a rest day at least 2-3 per week. Unlike aerobic activities, strength training does not only put a strain on the muscles, but also on the nervous system, which also needs relaxation, and it is not only for this reason that you really should not mess around with skipping rest days. In the case of aerobic athletes, a lot depends on the level of training - more experienced athletes can have a rest day once every five days, while beginners can have a rest day every two days. It really depends on you personally and how you feel about training. But it's definitely not true that if you're not in pain, you don't need to rest. Muscles don't have to hurt to deserve rest.

How do I know if I need a rest day?

Aside from the fact that it should be natural for us to take training breaks regularly, there may be other signals that can indicate that it's a good idea to take a rest day, even beyond your scheduled routine. What are these signs?

• Significantly sensitive muscles. While it's normal to feel pain after exercise, persistent pain is a warning sign that something is wrong. It means your muscles have not recovered from previous workouts and need to be given extra space to recover.
• Extreme fatigue. If you feel exhausted, let your body really rest and regain strength. At such a time, feel free to schedule a longer sleep and increase your calorie intake.
• Pain. Muscle or joint pain that doesn't go away within a few days can be a sign of injury from overuse or lack of rest.
• Mood changes and depression. When you're physically burned out, hormones like serotonin and cortisol get out of balance. This can cause mood swings, irritability, grumpiness, lack of focus, loss of motivation, and at worst, depression or anxiety.
• Sleep problems. High levels of cortisol and adrenaline can lead to very serious problems with sleep quality. Sleep problems are one of the most common symptoms of overtraining.
• Decline in performance. If your normal workouts suddenly seem difficult or if you stop seeing progress in yourself, schedule a day off - even a few days. It will do you good.

How to make the most of rest days?

We've said enough about what rest days are and how often we should take them. Let's now look together at how to design such a rest day, what to focus on during it and what not to forget so that we can really make the most of its benefits!

Quality sleep as priority No. 1

Sleep quality is an important factor to focus on during (not only) the process of muscle adaptation and performance enhancement. Specifically as it relates to skeletal muscle, a lack of REM sleep (five hours or less) can result in an increase in cortisol and a significant drop in testosterone levels after just one week.

These changes not only have a direct effect on mood, ability to concentrate, stress, and libido, but also lead to negative changes in muscle mass, muscle strength, bone density, and other factors affecting physical fitness and training performance. Sleep is one of the most underestimated means of increasing performance, building muscle, but also reducing fat that exists, and therefore getting enough of it (both quality and quantity) should be among every athlete's priorities.

Nutrition, the foundation of success

In addition to proper rest, we also need to provide the body with energy in the form of adequate amounts of quality food. It is the exhausted and tired body that needs sufficient nutrients perhaps the most and it is our job to provide them. Not only on a rest day, make sure you eat a varied diet full of different nutrients. Treat yourself to good quality protein in the form of meat, fish, eggs, dairy products or even legumes.

Don't forget complex carbohydrates on a non-training day - you can even increase the amount of carbohydrates to replenish your energy. Good sources include cereals, wholemeal bread, pasta, quinoa, buckwheat, potatoes, rice or even couscous. There really is a lot to choose from. Fats shouldn't be missing from your diet either, so throw in avocado, oily fish, nuts, seeds or some good quality vegetable oil. Supplement all your daily meals with a portion of fruit or vegetables, as in addition to being a source of very important fibre, they also contain a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that our body will definitely benefit from during recovery. Last but not least, don't forget to drink plenty of water, which should be mostly clean water.

Active rest

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, rest days do not necessarily mean that you should lie on the couch all day. In fact, quite the opposite, some judiciously chosen rest activity can help to relax sore muscles and quite often also stimulate the mind. Studies even suggest that active rest is slightly more effective in the recovery process than a completely passive method of rest. This is probably due to the fact that during active movement (albeit unrestrained) there is an increase in blood flow to the muscles being used, which results in faster flushing of accumulated lactate and other metabolic waste products through increased oxygen supply. Suitable activities include a longer walk with the family, a light swim, a shorter run, a bike ride or some team sport. An ideal activity is also yoga or a good stretch, for which you can use a rollerblader as an aid.

Really relax

Active regeneration has its benefits, but if you feel that you really need to laze around on the couch all day with a movie marathon, a good book, or maybe you want to take a break from exercise altogether and go for a massage, a physio, a movie, a football game, or a meal with friends, go for it! Because even those days are needed, and actually probably more than we think. Apart from letting our overworked bodies really rest, we also give our heads a break and have fun, and believe it or not, they need a good rest too.

Because training is a strain not only from a physical point of view, but also for the whole nervous system and the moment we can't switch off or slow down, sooner or later our clever body will give us a hard time. So in addition to active rest, feel free to incorporate some complete relaxation from time to time. Your body will benefit in every way - we just recommend avoiding the consumption of large amounts of alcohol. It does your body no good and does more harm than good in terms of recovery.

What to take away from this article?

Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned athlete, regular rest is an absolutely essential element of your training routine and it's a shame to neglect it, as it can have absolutely fatal consequences in the long run. After all, rest is essential for muscle recovery, injury prevention and overtraining, but also for building muscle, fat reduction and the ability to perform better and better. To get the most out of your rest days, make sure you get enough quality sleep, nourish your body in the best possible way and choose a more active way of recovery in the form of a lighter activity such as walking, swimming or yoga. Don't forget to drink and give your mind a break - ideally surrounded by good friends or family.

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