Rest days are breaks from high intensity exercise that are necessary for muscle recovery and physiological and mental stress relief
Exercising regularly is undoubtedly one of the best ways to maintain optimal health, but prolonged strenuous activity without sufficient rest can lead to muscle, tissue, or joint injuries, as well as fatigue and burnout
Taking regular breaks allows your body to recover and repair. It’s a critical part of progress, regardless of your fitness level or sport
Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of taking rest days, how to optimize them, and which signs may indicate that you’re overtraining
This article is Day 5 of Healthline’s 30 Days of Movement Challenge. Learn more about how you can build long-lasting fitness habits through quick and accessible exercises by following the Challenge
Next, read Day 6: How to Power Walk to Boost Energy
Why do you need to take rest days?
Here’s a look at the advantages of taking regular rest days
1. Allows time for recovery
Contrary to popular belief, a rest day isn’t about being lazy on the couch. Rest days are critical for allowing all parts of your body — muscles, connective tissues, joints, and brain — to recover
It’s during this time that the beneficial effects of exercise take place
Exercise creates microscopic tears in your muscle tissue. But during rest, cells called fibroblasts
repair it. This helps the tissue heal and grow, resulting in stronger muscles
Certain types of exercise or repetitive movements can also strain your ligaments and tendons. Like muscles, these connective tissues need rest periods to repair, heal, and regenerate
Overtraining with insufficient rest days can also lead to joint injuries. Over time, repeated stress on the jointscan cause inflammation, degeneration, and damage
2. Prevents muscle fatigue
Rest is necessary for avoiding exercise-induced fatigue
Your body stores carbohydrates in the form of glycogen. During exercise, your body breaks down glycogen to fuel your workout. Rest days give your body time to replenish glycogen stores before your next workout
If these stores aren’t replenished, however, you can experience muscle fatigue and soreness
Depleted glycogen stores may reduce the levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in your muscles. ATP is the main energy eurotransmission and calcium release from certain muscle fibers, contributing to muscle fatigue
Carbs also play an important role in supporting your immune system and repairing damaged muscle tissue
Plus, your muscles need glycogen to function, even when you’re not working out. By getting adequate rest, you’ll help your glycogen stores replenish and prevent fatigue
3. Reduces risk of acute injury
Regular rest is essential for staying safe during exercise. When your body is overworked, you may be more likely to fall out of form, drop a weight, or take a wrong step
4. Improves performance
When you don’t get enough rest, it can be hard to do your normal routine, let alone challenge yourself. For example, you might be less motivated to do an extra rep or run another mile
Even if you push yourself, overtraining decreases your performance. You may experience reduced endurance, slow reaction times, and limited agility
Rest has the opposite effect. It can help boost energy and prevent fatigue, preparing your body for more intense and successful workouts
5. Supports healthy sleep
Regular exercise can improve your sleep, but overtraining without taking rest days can impair sleep quality
Physical activity increases energy-boosting hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Constant exercise, however, can overproduce these hormones, making it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep
Rest can help you get better sleep by letting your hormones return to a balanced state
How many rest days do you need per week?
The ideal rest day looks different for each person and depends on many factors, including the intensity, frequency, and duration of your regular exercise routine, as well as your lifestyle outside of exercise
Healthcare professionals commonly classify exercise into two categories, aerobic and resistance exercise, each with their own recommended guidelines for activity and rest
However, it’s important to note that many activities fall within both categories, so it can become difficult to set an “exact” number of rest days
Aerobic and cardiovascular exercise
Aerobic or cardiovascular (cardio) exercise involves moving large muscle groups for prolonged periods to increase your heart and breathing rates, facilitating the circulation of oxygen in your body
Typically, rest days aren’t necessary for light cardio exercise, such as leisurely walking or slow dancing. It’s safe enough to do every day, unless your doctor says otherwise
But if you’re doing moderate or vigorous aerobic activity, rest days are essential. It’s recommended to take a rest day every 3 to 5 days. If you do vigorous cardio, you’ll want to take more frequent rest days
Each week, adults should aim for at least 150 to 300 minutes
of moderate activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity. You can also combine moderate and vigorous activity
These guidelines can help you plan your rest days. For example, if you’d like to do 3 days of 50-minute vigorous cardio sessions, you can plan rest days and other workouts around them
You can also have an active rest day with a light workout, such as mobility work, yoga, or gentle stretching
Resistance training
Resistance, strength, or weight training typically incorporates rest days by rotating the muscles worked
Healthcare professionals typically recommend incorporating resistance training targeting the body’s major muscle groups at least twice weekly, and resting for around 48 hours before training the same muscle group
After exercising a specific muscle group, let it rest for 1 to 2 days to let your muscles, tendons, and joints repair and heal. On the other days, train different muscles or incorporate aerobic activities, such as walking, cycling, hiking, or swimming
It’s important to work opposing muscles to keep your body balanced. There are many ways to split your weekly workouts, such as full-body, upper-lower, and push-pull splits
What to do on your rest day
Rest days provide great opportunities to recharge, recover, and replenish the body. Here are several things to consider:
Diet and protein
On rest days, it’s important to provide your body with the right nutrients to help support muscle recovery, repair, and growth, as well as boost your energy levels
Your body may not need as many calories because you’re less active. For instance, your body may naturally “ask” for less food through satiety and hunger cues
However, it’s best not to set a specific calorie limit and instead focus on eating nutrient-dense, well-balanced meals that are high in protein, complex carbs, and micronutrient-rich fruits and vegetables
Adequate protein intake helps support muscle repair during rest. Active people should eat at least 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.7 grams per pound) each day. This should be evenly spaced throughout the day
It’s also important to drink plenty of fluids and to remain hydrated
Low intensity movement
Low intensity activities can help you stay active without overstressing your body and let you enjoy exercise in a more relaxing way. Some examples of activities that can be done at lower intensities include:
What are the signs that I need a rest day?
If you notice any of the following signs, it might be time to take a break:
- Sore, stiff muscles: While it’s normal to feel sore after exercise, persistent soreness is a red flag. It means your muscles haven’t recovered from past workouts.
- Fatigue:Pay attention to extreme exhaustion. If you feel spent, let your body rest.
- Pain:Muscle or joint pain that doesn’t go away might be a sign of an overuse injury.
- Emotional changes: When you’re physically burnt out, hormones like serotonin and cortisol become imbalanced. This can cause irritability, crankiness, and rapid mood shifts.
- Sleep issues: High levels of cortisol and adrenaline can make it hard to get quality sleep.
- Reduced performance: If your normal routine feels difficult, or if you stop seeing progress, take a rest day.
»Learn more:Signs of overtraining and how to manage them
When to connect with a professional
If you’re new to exercise or haven’t worked out in a long time, consider speaking with a healthcare professional or a personal trainer. They can help you determine the best workout schedule for your fitness level
They can also help you increase intensity, duration, and speed safely. Most importantly, they can explain how to incorporate rest days based on your personalized routine
Frequently asked questions
No, two rest days per week is typically not too much, so long as you’re remaining active, hydrating, and eating a balanced diet
However, the number of rest days you need weekly depends on many factors, such as exercise frequency, type, duration, and intensity
Yes, rest days may help lower cortisol levels caused by intense physical activity. That said, many factors can affect cortisol levels, such as psychological stress, so it’s important to manage these aspects as well
The bottom line
Whether you’re a novice or seasoned athlete, regular rest is crucial. It’s necessary for muscle repair, to prevent fatigue, and to improve overall performance
To make the most out of your rest days, consider doing low intensity workouts like yoga and walking. These activities can help you stay active while letting your body recover
Remember, without enough breaks, you’re less likely to achieve the goals you made in the first place. Letting your body rest is the best thing you can do for fitness success
