Regular exercise is good for overall health, but it doesn’t mean you have to do it every day or overdo it. It’s important to have rest days between workouts to allow your muscles to recover from the possible damage sustained during exercise, and grow. Several studies have also highlighted the importance of rest days in maintaining good health and fitness.

Both rest and recovery should also be part of your training program. Rest is defined as a period of time without any training and it usually about 24 hours for most people. Recovery, on the other hand, can be compared to taking a short break during training between rounds, which lasts between several minutes to hours.

Rest and recovery time between workouts can help your body adapt and recuperate from the previous workouts. When you exercise, your body uses the stored energy, mainly carbohydrates, and fluids for producing sweat. Your body gets time to replenish these energy stores during rest and recovery between workouts.

According to experts, it takes at least 24 hours for your body to fully replace the muscle’s store of carbohydrates, which is important for maintaining stable blood sugar levels. However, it takes only around one to two hours to replace the fluids lost as sweat during exercise. Having said so, your body still needs several hours of rest after a workout to maintain hydration.

Rest days are important to prevent overtraining syndrome

Rest days can also prevent overtraining syndrome or burnout, which occurs when a person trains their body beyond its ability to recover. Overtraining may even result in decreased performance and may slow down progress.

Overtraining syndrome frequently occurs in athletes who often exercise longer and harder ahead of a competition or event. If you don’t give your body adequate rest and recovery time, such training regimens can backfire and decrease your performance. Below are some common warning signs of overtraining syndrome:

• Decreased appetite
• Depression
• Headaches
• Increased incidence of injuries
• Insomnia
• Lack of energy, fatigue
• Lower immunity
• Mild leg soreness, general aches, and pains
• Moodiness and irritability
• Pain in muscles and joints
• Reduced training capacity/intensity
• A sudden drop in performance

If you suspect you are overtraining, stop the exercise and take a few days of rest. A 2015 study on overtraining syndrome suggested that getting adequate rest is the primary treatment plan. In addition, proper nutrition and stress reduction are also necessary for recovery.

Overtraining without rest might lead to weight gain

Many women are overtraining in the hope to lose weight in a short time. But what they probably didn’t know is weight loss is a gradual process. One who loses weight gradually and steadily (one to two pounds per week) will be more successful at achieving lifelong weight maintenance. On the other hand, too much exercise at high intensity without enough recovery time can harm the body in surprising ways.

Reduced metabolism due to hormonal imbalances and emotional state (depression, anxiety, stress, and fatigue) resulting from overtraining can actually lead to weight gain. Too much exercise can increase stress, which in turn may cause a severe miscommunication between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands. This may lead to negative physical effects such as fatigue, insomnia, gut issues and weight gain.

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