Unpopular Opinion: It's OK to Take a Rest Day
No doubt you’ve seen an increase in fitness posts on social media lately encouraging everyone to stay active during quarantine. Plenty of at-home workouts using equipment, items from around the house, or bodyweight to keep everyone fit and active while we’re stuck at home.
But with that, there’s also an uprise in the #nodaysoff trend, insisting that we all stay active every single day so as to not break a routine, or fall into being “lazy” as we all find our new normal.
We didn’t work out every day before we were stuck at home, so why should we now?
If you’re anything like me, you have this gnawing feeling in your gut that we’re not as active now that we’re working from home, and we feel shamed into workouts. Maybe it’s because we’re not walking from our desk to the bathroom, or walking around work, etc. Well, to be honest, those weren’t big calorie-burners in the first place.
Which brings me to the unpopular opinion that rest days are ok.
Admittedly one of the hardest parts of getting into a routine is learning (or recognizing) when to take a rest day. Deciphering between being tired or dehydrated, or unmotivated, and actually needing a rest day can be tough. Follow the below tips to help you decide how hard to push yourself today, or if you’re ready to take a day off.
If you feel exhausted even getting 7-9 hour of solid sleep
When you know you’ve been getting good rest, but you still feel exhausted, sore, and fatigued, take a rest day. Your body is telling you to take a break, and will ultimately benefit more from a break than from overtraining.
You’ve been drinking water but you’re not hydrated
If you’re chugging water, but it’s not quenching your thirst, your electrolytes are likely off, signaling an imbalance in your system. Thirst is your body’s last signal that it needs water, so by the time you’re thirsty, it’s already too late. Make sure you stay ahead of your needs.
You want to train, but your muscles are really sore 2-3 days after your workout
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) can definitely affect you and keep you sore 2-3 days after a great workout. But if this is happening frequently, you’ll need to warm up and stretch these muscle groups so they can recover before you break them down again.
You’ve felt slow or weak in your last 2-3 workouts
You won’t always have great workouts. And that’s normal! But once you notice a downward trend, that your easy workouts seem really hard, you’ll want to take a break. A good rule of thumb is: if you don’t feel any better after your warm-up, you are probably too tired for the workout.
You’re cranky or easily frustrated
Anxious? Easily upset? Feeling off? When your body is drained of energy, you’ll notice that your attitude and outlook aren’t the same. You’re taking so much energy from your system, it can’t naturally balance out. Take a rest day and try again tomorrow or the day after.
You can’t remember your last rest day
It seems silly - but it’s not. If you legitimately can’t remember your last rest day (or even “easy” day, for those of you elite athletes), it’s probably time to get one on the schedule.
Hopefully these tips help you decide what’s best for your body and your goals. Now if you do decide it’s a rest day, stay hydrated. Go for a light walk. Clean your house. Get some errands done. But take it easy, and give your body the rest it deserves so you can recover and reach those goals! Don’t let the devil on your shoulder (or social media) give you a hard time for it! To #liveunbreakable you need to #trainunbreakable and as always - any questions reach out to Coach Shaun!