Skipping rest days might be hurting your fitness progress
We live in a culture that glorifies the grind — where pushing harder, running further and lifting more are seen as the only path to success. But in the world of fitness — and life in general — more isn’t always better. In fact, according to numerous experts, true progress lies in the moments you slow down and pause.
“If you have specific training goals and are regularly engaging in long or challenging workouts, you should plan to rest one or two days per week,” exercise physiologist Alyssa Olenick wrote in a Nike article.
“Taking one or two days off can help you recover more and make more progress. We make our gains while training, but we need rest and recovery for our body to heal from that training and to make adaptations.”
Why rest days matter
While it may seem counterintuitive, the gains from your workout don’t happen during your sweat sessions — they happen when you rest. Here’s why giving your body time off is essential:
Recovery and repair
Exercise creates microscopic tears in your muscle tissue. Rest is when the healing begins. “Our muscles are having an acute inflammatory response that helps facilitate the muscle repair process: Alyssa explains. Cells called fibroblasts get to work repairing tissue, which leads to stronger, more resilient muscles.
Preventing muscle fatigue
When you train, your body burns stored glycogen, the fuel your muscles rely on. Without rest, your body can’t replenish these energy stores, leading to fatigue and soreness that undermines performance.
Injury protection
Overtraining increases the risk of injury due to repetitive stress. Rest days allow you to reset both physically and mentally, helping you avoid mistakes like poor form or burnout that could sideline your progress for weeks — or even months.
Performance boost
When you rest. you recover. That recovery restores your energy and allows your body to come back stronger. “Rest has the opposite effect of overtraining. It increases energy and prevents fatigue, which prepares your body for consistently successful workouts.”
Better sleep
Intense workouts ramp up hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Without rest, these hormones remain elevated, which can mess with your sleep. Regular recovery days help your body and brain wind down, improving sleep quality and therefore your mood.
Know when to rest
As Juan Martinez, performance manager for Exos at Adidas, puts it: You have to check in with yourself and say, ‘Yeah, I feel really bad today. Maybe today’s not the day I really push.’
Research by the University of Toronto in Canada and the University of Kent in the UK found that while exercising, the body sends signals to the central nervous system to indicate that it is fatigued. The key signs to watch for that may indicate it’s time to hit pause are:
- Persistent muscle soreness
- Unusual fatigue
- Joint pain
- Mood swings or irritability
- Trouble sleeping
- Decline in performance or motivation
“Mentally, if you’re dreading doing what you normally do, do something different,” says trainer Thomas Richardson. “Or instead of a 45-minute workout, just do 15 minutes. Check it off the list and move on to the next day.”
Sleep & napping
Quality rest goes beyond skipping a workout. Short naps of about 20 to 30 minutes have been shown to improve memory and alertness, and reduce stress. Just don’t nap too long or too late in the day, as that could disrupt night-time sleep. The standard recommendation by health experts is seven-plus hours of sleep per night.
Making the most of rest days
Contrary to what some may think, rest days aren’t about doing nothing. “It’s like an active recovery day — it’s a chance to be productive without fully burning out.” says Juan. Rest days can be gentle. mindful and even productive. Here’s how to do them right:
Active recovery
Engage in low-intensity movement to maintain blood flow, improve mobility and support healing. Try:
- Yoga, pilates or light stretching
- Walking
- Recreational cycling or swimming
- Dancing or slow-paced movement
“If you’re not doing anything on a rest day, you’re not getting the blood flow necessary to aid in recovery,” says Thomas.
Recovery can also entail using a foam roller to release muscle tension and ease muscle stiffness; a handheld massager also does the job. Hot and cold therapy helps to promote recovery — think ice baths and warm baths (with Epsom salts). Meditation or breathing exercises are beneficial on a rest day. Of course, recovery also requires getting a good night’s sleep (see box below).
Fuel for recovery
What you eat on rest days matters. Focus on nourishing your body to support repair:
- Protein: Crucial for muscle repair — aim for 1.2 to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight.
- Carbs: Replenish glycogen with complex carbs like oats, sweet potatoes and fruit.
- Water: Hydration helps nutrients travel through your system and reduce cramps.
- Fruit and vegetables: These are packed with antioxidants and micronutrients to support healing.
Tailoring rest to your workout style
Not all rest days look the same. Here’s how to plan for them based on your routine:
- Cardio: Light cardio like walking is okay daily but if doing moderate to intense cardio in your workouts, rest every 3-5 days.
- Running: Beginners should start with three runs per week and rest in between. If you’re training for a marathon, you’ll need even more recovery as race day nears.
- Bodybuilding: Rotate muscle groups and give each one 1-2 days to recover. Focus on balance and avoid overworking one area.
All in all, rest is not a reward — it’s a requirement. As much as workouts push you forward, rest keeps you grounded and sustainable in your progress. You’ll not only reduce the risk of injury and fatigue, you will also unlock the true potential of your body’s strength, energy and resilience.
By: Mecayla Maseka
Photography by: Gallo/Getty images, Shutterstock
Text courtesy of Man magazine
Also read: How these A-list celebrities stay on top of their fitness
