The importance of exercising cannot be emphasised enough. It helps build endurance, condition the body, manage weight, and stay calm. Besides the benefits to physical health, exercise is also great to manage stress. As per research by Harvard Medical School, exercise reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.
Notwithstanding the obvious benefits of exercising regularly, taking a break on a periodic basis is equally important. In case you are not taking breaks between workout sessions, especially when feeling tired and sore, you may end up adversely impacting your body. Therefore, taking a break is critical to overall health, and will not deter you from your fitness goals.
Your body may experience more harm than good if you are not taking breaks regularly between workouts sessions. You may consider the following factors to enhance your fitness regime:
Harmful effects of overtraining: Overtraining is a major contributor to fatigue, muscle soreness, injuries, and stress amongst people who workout regularly. High-intensity workouts done on a daily basis could actually negatively impact your performance levels, cause lethargy, and restlessness.
Diminished energy and motivation levels: Constant pressure on your body because of working out, could lead to a decline in energy levels. You may feel a sense of lethargy, lack of focus and motivation, and even boredom in some cases. This may cause injuries while working out, and disenchant you from the very idea of exercising.
Recuperation of nervous system: Exercising is also a mental effort, as much as it is a physical one. The nervous system needs time to recuperate, (recover after exercise) as it is a critical component for hand – legs – eye coordination. In case the nervous system is in overdrive, it may lead to wobbling and shaking of the body when exercising, causing injuries and muscle soreness.
Recuperation and growth of muscles: Recuperation of the body is required for muscle and mass gain. Not allowing your body to rest enough between workouts, will hamper muscle growth. The muscles break or tear when you lift weights or do intense cardio workouts, and resting is the primary way to heal the muscles, and supplement its growth.
Based on research by Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, you may go up to three weeks without working, and it will not impact your muscle growth or performance levels. You may also indulge in active rest days, by taking up activities such as playing a sport, swimming, or even going for a walk.
So, take that much-needed rest, and improve your overall physical and mental health!
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