Why you SHOULD rest.

Do I need a rest day? 

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If you are asking yourself this, the answer is probably YES!

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Believe it or not rest days are what allow us to see the full effect of exercising. When we exercise, we place tension and metabolic stress on our muscles creating microscopic tears in muscle tissue. Rest days allow muscle tissue to heal and recover, leading to stronger muscles. 

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When we exercise we also break down our muscles glycogen stores (stored glucose from carbohydrate metabolism). When we rest, we give our body type to replenish our muscle glycogen stores to fuel our next workout. 

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How much rest you need is going to vary from person to person, so listening to your body is key. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach! 

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Poor rest can lead to

• Increased fatigue, affecting physical performance when exercising and in day to day activities. 
• Reduced cognitive function
• Increased muscle soreness and risk of injury
• Poor mood and libido
• Poor sleep quality and impacted immune function. Overexercising leads to overproduction of our bodies' stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline which worsens mental and physical exhaustion/fatigue and increased susceptibility to infection. 

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To put it simply, rest allows our muscles to grow and supports optimal body functions and sometimes you're better off doing a stretch, going for a walk or hitting snooze on that 5am wake up call!

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