Sports & Fitness

Do more good than harm by taking a break from your workouts

Here’s why you should give your body ample rest despite the importance of exercising regularly to stay fit and healthy

Updated 4 years ago · Published on 26 Aug 2021 12:24PM

Do more good than harm by taking a break from your workouts
Despite the benefits of regular exercise, it is critical that you take a break periodically between workout sessions, especially when you’re tired or sore, as failure to do so can adversely impact your body and your overall health – pix courtesy of pexels.com, August 26, 2021

EXERCISE is beneficial to your physical health by building your endurance, conditioning your body, and managing your weight. Research by Harvard Medical School has shown that it also helps to manage stress by reducing your body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol.

Despite the benefits of regular exercise, it is critical that you take a break periodically between workout sessions, especially when you’re tired or sore, as failure to do so can adversely impact your body and overall health.

Here are some reasons why you should take regular breaks between your workout sessions and how these following factors can enhance your fitness regime:  

Overtraining

People who work out regularly face the threat of overtraining, which is a major contributor to fatigue, muscle soreness, injury and stress. Daily high-intensity workouts can cause restlessness, lethargy and negatively impact your performance levels.

Diminished Energy and Motivation

Applying constant pressure to your body through exercise could reduce your energy levels, making you feel lethargic, unfocused and unmotivated. In some cases, boredom sets in, causing you to feel disenchanted with exercising. A lack in concentration could also lead to injury.

Need for Recuperation

As exercising requires both mental and physical coordination, your body’s nervous system needs time to recuperate. Exerting yourself too much could cause your body to wobble and shake, leading to muscle soreness and injuries.

Regrowth of Muscles 

Recuperation between workouts is essential for muscle growth and mass gain, as the muscle fibres are torn when you lift weights or perform intense workouts. Rest is the primary way to heal the muscles and supplement its growth.

Research by Medicine and Science in sports and exercise has shown that neither muscle growth nor performance levels will be impacted if you do not work out for up to three weeks, so take that much-needed rest to improve your overall mental and physical health. – Agencies, August 26, 2021

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