importance of rest days in your fitness journey

Rest days are imperative in ones fitness journey and should never be overlooked. If you are a fitness enthusiast like me you don't want to take a day off because you are accustomed to feeling good overall in part to your workouts. However there are a multitude of reasons to schedule a rest day during the week.

1. Muscle growth happens during rest, not workouts

   -Training creates tiny tears in muscle fibers

   -Rest allows them to repair and come back stronger.

   -Without recovery, you're just breaking down tissue and risking an acute or chronic injury.

2. Prevents overtraining and injury

   -Constant stress on muscles, joints, and connective tissues increases likelihood of burnout and getting various ailments.

   -Rest days give your body time to adapt and reduce injury risk

3. Supports nervous system recovery

   - Regular heavy resistance training and intense cardio tax not just muscle but also your central nervous system.

   -Proper rest restores energy, coordination and focus.

4. Improves performance

   -Athletes who rest see greater gains

   -Pushing nonstop can actually stall progress ( plateaus)

5. Mental refresh

   -Rest days prevent fitness from feeling arduous.

   -They help you stick with your routine in the long run

It is essential for your health to shut your body down for at least one day a week to recover, grow and reset. You may not think it is good for your gains, but it is in fact and great for longevity. Having. longer longevity is what everyone should strive for in life as there are so many amazing things to see and do in this world and doing it without pain becomes key.