Don't forget this when exercising if you don't want it to be counterproductive.

Rest days are just as important as exercise. In fact, no successful workout regimen would be complete without a rest day.

Regular rest allows your body to recover and repair. It’s an important part of progress, no matter your fitness level or the sport you play. Skipping rest days can lead to overtraining.

According to Dr. Vo Van Giau - Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City National University, regular physical activity with appropriate intensity is an independent factor in preventing and improving cardiovascular diseases in different population groups.

Exercise and sports help to improve and maintain health, prevent aging, and are beneficial in preventing the occurrence of many chronic diseases including cardiovascular diseases.

Specifically, maintaining daily physical activity is reported to increase life expectancy by 8-10 years and prevent chronic diseases compared to a sedentary lifestyle.

However, long-term, excessive and unscientific exercise and sports can cause acute cardiovascular events such as myocardial ischemia, acute myocardial infarction, and stroke.

A recent scientific statement from the American Heart Association also indicated that excessive physical activity, especially when performed by unhealthy individuals, can significantly increase the risk of acute myocardial infarction and sudden death in susceptible individuals.

The benefits of taking a break

Allow your body time to recover

According toHealthline, exercise creates microscopic tears in your muscle tissue. During rest, your body repairs them, helping the tissue heal and grow, making your muscles stronger.

Additionally, your muscles store carbohydrates in the form of glycogen. During exercise, your body breaks down glycogen to provide energy for your workout. Rest gives your body time to replenish these energy stores before your next workout.

Prevent muscle fatigue

Rest is essential to avoid exercise-induced fatigue. Remember, exercise depletes your muscle glycogen stores. If they are not replaced, you will experience muscle fatigue and soreness.

Additionally, your muscles need glycogen to function, even when you're not exercising. By getting enough rest, you can avoid fatigue by replenishing your glycogen stores.

Reduce the risk of injury

Regular rest breaks are essential to staying safe while exercising. When your body is overworked, you are more likely to lose form, lose weight, or take the wrong steps.

Overtraining also puts your muscles under repetitive stress and strain. This increases your risk of overtraining injuries, forcing you to take more days off than you intended.

Improve performance

When you don't get enough rest, it can be difficult to perform your normal routine, let alone challenge yourself. Even if you try your best, overtraining will reduce your performance. You may experience reduced stamina and less agility.

Resting has the opposite effect. It increases energy and prevents fatigue, preparing your body for continued successful training.

Support healthy sleep

While regular exercise can improve your sleep, taking rest days is also helpful.

Physical activity increases energy-boosting hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. However, constant exercise will produce too much of these hormones. You will have difficulty getting quality sleep, which will only make fatigue and exhaustion worse.

Rest can help you sleep better by allowing hormones to return to a normal, balanced state.

How to have the right day off?

The ideal rest day looks different for everyone. It depends on the intensity and frequency of your workouts, along with your lifestyle outside of exercise.

However, there are general guidelines for incorporating rest days into different workouts.

Cardio exercises

Rest days are generally not necessary for light cardio. This includes activities like leisurely walking or slow dancing. This is safe to do every day, unless your doctor says otherwise.

But if you’re doing moderate or vigorous aerobic activity, rest days are essential. You should take a rest day every three to five days. If you’re doing vigorous cardio, you’ll want to take rest days more frequently.

You can also have an active rest day by doing light exercise, such as gentle stretching.

To determine when you should take a break, look at the recommendations for aerobic activity. Adults should do 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity each week. You can also do a combination of moderate and vigorous activity.

Run

Running is a form of cardio exercise but it often requires a different approach when it comes to rest periods.

If you are new to running, start with three days a week. Running too much too soon can lead to fatigue and overuse injuries. On the other days, give yourself a break or do other activities. Your other workouts should involve muscles you don’t use when running.

Rest days are even more important if you are training for a marathon. In the final three weeks before the event, it is best to take more frequent rest days.

Bodybuilding

When it comes to bodybuilding or weight training, incorporate rest days by rotating the muscles you work. After working a particular muscle group, give it a day or two to rest. This gives your muscles a chance to repair and heal.

On other days, work a different muscle group. Be sure to also work the opposite muscles to keep your body balanced.

One way to implement rest days is to designate one day for each body part. For example, Monday could be leg day, Tuesday could be chest day, etc.

To lose weight

If you are trying to lose weight, you should still take regular rest days. Rest allows your muscles to rebuild and grow.

Plus, when you feel good, you'll be more likely to stick with your exercise routine.

What to do on day off?

To make the most of your rest day, consider the following:

Diet and protein

On rest days, your body typically needs fewer calories because you're not as active. But instead of trying to cut out a specific amount of calories, just listen to your body. It will naturally require less food through its hunger and satiety signals.

It is also important to eat enough protein, even on rest days. Adequate protein intake supports the muscle repair that occurs during rest.

Active people need 1.2 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. This should be done evenly throughout the day.

On rest days, you should also focus on:

- Carbohydrates: Eat complex carbs to restore your glycogen levels. Depending on your activity level, you will need 3 to 10 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.

- Water: It is essential to drink enough water, even when you are not exercising. Staying hydrated will prevent muscle cramps and deliver nutrients throughout your body.

- Fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables provide healthy carbs and nutrients that aid recovery.

Yoga

Yoga is one of the best things you can do on a rest day. It's great for improving body awareness, breathing, and flexibility. It also helps you build strength while loosening up your muscles.

Plus, yoga promotes calmness, leaving you refreshed and ready for your next workout. You don’t need a lot of time to enjoy the benefits of yoga. Just 10 to 15 minutes will help you recover from your workout.

Low Impact Training

Like yoga, low-impact exercises are a great rest day activity. Low-impact exercises help you stay active without putting too much strain on your body. They also allow you to enjoy exercise in a more relaxing way.

Examples of low-impact exercises include walking, casual swimming, cycling, dancing, kayaking…