“No days off.” “Grind don’t stop.” Well, there are some days off and the grind do stop. Yes, it’s okay to take days off and focus on things besides your workout. In fact, a day off once in a while can actually contribute to your overall regimen. Here, we are going to talk about a few different reasons why off days and relaxation are beneficial for the body and the mind. You wouldn’t want to go to work every single day, would you? No, we have off days to decompress. The same goes for your workout routine.
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3 Benefits of Off Days From the Gym
Mental Break
More than anything, it’s important to give your mind time to relax. At least twice a week, it’s okay to step away from the gym and think about something else. Whether you like to read, watch movies, play video games, or spend your leisure time outside, it’s good for the brain to zone out and do something relaxing. If you’re tirelessly working towards a fitness goal, that can be as mentally taxing as it is physically. Just step away for a day, do something else you like to do, and come back the next day refreshed and ready to go.
Muscle Recovery
Sometimes, your body needs a day off in order to recover. This gives your muscles time to rest and actually grow. There’s a reason why most avid gymgoers alternate between upper body, lower body, and cardio days at the gym. If you go through a full-body workout, it’s a good idea to follow it with a day off for your body to recover. This will help your inflammation heal and allow your muscles to breathe, so to speak. Your muscles may have become strained or damaged, so an off day is necessary to prevent any further injuries that would require you to sit out for an extended period of time. This ties into our next point…
Reduced Injury Risk
An off day every three to four days is one of the best ways to prevent yourself from injury. If you overwork your body, you will likely fall out of form or take a wrong step which can directly cause an injury. Additionally, the longer you go without giving any given body part some rest, the more likely it is that that body part becomes weak and breaks down. This is called repetitive stress and it’s a common occurrence for those who don’t practice off days.
Long story short, take advantage of off days by relaxing and letting your body and mind rest. This will be the most effective way to let your muscles strengthen between workouts and avoid injury.