How many days of rest between workouts?

How many days of rest between workouts?

When you’re laser-focused on your fitness goals, it’s not unusual to let “rest days” slide to the bottom of your list of priorities. But recovery is as integral to physical health as the training itself, helping to build strength, improve performance and reduce the risk of injury.

So, how many days of rest between workouts are needed to experience these benefits?

Ideally, you will get between 48 and 72 hours of rest between training days. If you like high-intensity workouts, the American Council on Exercise recommends at least a full passive rest day every 7 to 10 days.

Below we explain how rest days can fuel future workouts and what you can do to help your body bounce (and build) back better.

Why rest days help boost future workouts

Whether you’re new to fitness or a five-star athlete, rest days and recovery periods can instantly make or break your life. and Long-term physical health. While you’re taking it easy, your body is working hard — on a molecular level — to make the necessary repairs to accommodate your next workout.

Specifically, rest days promote the following:

• Muscle repair and growth – During periods of exertion, your muscle fibers are exposed to “micro-tears” due to physical stress. When you take time to rest after training, these tears have time to heal and grow, creating stronger muscle tissue. This process is known in sports science as Muscle hypertrophy.
• Glycogen replenishment – Glycogen is the main substance your body uses to fuel workouts. Intense training sessions deplete your reserves in your muscles and liver. Rest days – supplemented by a carbohydrate-rich post-workout meal – allow your body to replenish its reserves. This facilitates muscle repair and growth and helps you avoid muscle fatigue.
• Hormonal balance Physically, your body views exercise as a form of stress. As a result, cortisol (the stress hormone) tends to rise during training sessions. If you do intense or repetitive exercise, rest days will help prevent you from getting into a workout Catabolic state: When your body starts breaking down muscles instead of repairing them. Rest also allows your endocrine system to balance, which may reduce your risk of hormonal imbalances.

On a macro level, rest days help you avoid overtraining, which can cause you to feel mentally and physically exhausted after gym time. By treating rest days as a crucial component of your diet, rather than an enemy, you’re more likely to see stronger, more sustainable results from the effort you put in while active.

Understanding active recovery versus passive recovery

Different types of workouts can require different types of recovery periods. For example, you may not need a full rest day if your favorite exercise is light yoga.

Rest days are most important for those who participate in high-intensity or endurance training, as muscle hypertrophy is more likely to occur. For this reason, it is important to distinguish between “active” and “passive” recovery time:

• Active recovery It can include low-stress exercise to keep your blood circulating and strengthen your muscles. Active recovery days can include exercises such as:
  • Fast walking
  • swimming
  • Yoga
  • Stretching
• Passive recovery Includes no Exercise – a state of complete physical rest. This is ideal if you do high-intensity training, especially regularly. These days, feel free to treat reading, doing your favorite hobby, or just lying on the couch as your daily exercise. Taste it!

Don’t forget to recover after exercise

Rest days are important, but you can further support your recovery by taking some simple steps immediately after your training sessions.

Here’s what you can do to support your body as you transition into recovery:

• wetting – Before leaving the gym, make sure you get at least 10 minutes of movement. Low-intensity exercise helps return your heart rate and blood pressure to baseline.
• Stretching – Stretching exercises help reduce muscle pain and enhance flexibility. It is thought that stretching exercises in conjunction with cool-down periods may help prevent muscle stiffness and inflammation.
• hydrate -If you’re doing it right, you’ll likely lose a lot of moisture while exercising. Some people may lose up to 2 liters of fluid (and salt) per hour from high-intensity training. Ideally, adults will drink 16 to 24 ounces. of water or sports drinks after exercise.
• Fuel – Post-workout snacks help restock glycogen stores and promote muscle repair and growth. Your ideal post-workout meal can depend on the type of exercise you did, as well as your individual needs. To keep things simple, carbohydrates are ideal for recovery, while protein helps with muscle repair and growth.

Build holistic health at Chuze Fitness

Once you’ve had some time off your feet, dedicate yourself back to your workout at Chuze Fitness. With one of the highest value memberships you’ll find, you can enjoy access to clean, premium gym equipment, countless group classes, and even a movie theater where you can train while enjoying entertainment. Do you need child care? Chuze Fitness has that too. Please note that this service is not available at every Chuze Fitness, be sure to check the location page for your local Chuze.

Break the routine and make your next best move with Free pass for 7 days today.

sources:

Healthline. Are rest days important for exercising?

https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/rest-day#benefits

Nakbi. Effects of variation between test rest periods on repeatability of a 10-repetition maximum load test: A pilot study with recreational resistance-trained men. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6719818/

Healthline. Muscle hypertrophy and your workout.

https://www.healthline.com/health/muscular-hypertrophy#definition

The world of hostility. Cortisol and exercise: What you need to know.

https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/health/mental-health/a60125903/cortisol-and-exercise/

Very convenient. Why do you need to rest and recover after exercise? https://www.verywellfit.com/the-benefits-of-rest-and-recovery-after-exercise-3120575

Mayo Clinic. Aerobics: How to warm up and cool down. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-deep/exercise/art-20045517

Johns Hopkins Medicine. Sports and hydration for athletes: Q&A with a nutritionist.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/nutrition-and-fitness/sports-and-hydration-for-athletes

Reviewed by:

Annie is the Vice President of Fitness at Chuze Fitness and oversees the group fitness and team training departments. She has had over 25 years working in club management, personal training, group exercise and coach training. Annie lives with her husband and son in San Diego, California, and loves hot yoga, snowboarding, and all things wellness.