Why you shouldn’t skip rest days

That’s right. You don’t need to sweat every day

Once you get into a fitness routine you love, it can feel like cheating to take a rest day. After all, working out is a great way to reduce stress as well as tone up, right? Why would you want to skip a day of that?

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Well according to personal trainer and Barry’s Bootcamp senior instructor Alicia Beveridge, rest days are actually essential. And here’s why:

1. They help with muscle recovery
Alicia says that the importance of rest days for our body can’t be emphasised enough. “Our muscles, nerves and connective tissue needs time to recover from intense workouts. It’s what our body needs to become fitter, more flexible and more toned,” she explains.

2. They reduce the chance of injury
Apart from muscle repair, Alicia says that rest days help reduce the chances of injury, and they help you sleep better too.

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3. They can improve your mental health
Rest days are great for our mental health as well, says Alicia. “From a mental standpoint,” she explains, “rest days help prevent burnout, and they can help improve our mental heath.”

4. They can build motivation
Spending a day away from your normal training schedule can help give our body and a mind a break. “After a rest day,” explains Alicia, “you start to crave our next workout instead of dread it. I promise!”

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But, don’t worry, that doesn’t mean that you can’t still throw on some activewear. In fact Alicia recommends still moving on your rest days, just choose an activity that is low intensity.

“Think activities like walking, swimming, gentle yoga or Pilates,” she suggests. “Take it as an opportunity to grab a girlfriend for a coffee, get outdoors and go for a walk. Triple win!”

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