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When to take a day off

By December 12, 2013 December 18th, 2015 articles, Videos

Just as there are some individuals who need all the help they can get to raise their motivation level up enough to not miss their workout, there are some who need to exercise (no pun intended) just as much discipline to take the day off from the gym.

For some workout-aholics, the idea of taking a rest day just doesn’t sit well with them. They might feel they wasted the day by not working out, or maybe are getting smaller since they didn’t get their pump for the day.

We can even admit that we’ve been (and still are) that person. It wasn’t too long ago that we implemented a rest day for the first time in well over a month.

marc fitt article day off
“Use your head! Learn the signs that you need to take a rest”
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However, you really shouldn’t discount how beneficial giving yourself a good 24 hours off can be. In fact, having a little break from the gym can be just what you need to go back and hit it even harder!

Don’t forget that you only recover from your workouts while you’re at rest. And while getting enough sleep is certainly the biggest player in that process, sometimes even getting your solid 8 hours a night isn’t enough to have you primed and ready to go for your next session.

You’ll definitely want to take the day off if

  • you’re no longer looking forward to your workouts.
  • you’re sore for longer than a week.
  • you’re getting sick or injured frequently.
  • you aren’t sleeping well.

These are just some of the things that you should look out for if you’re an insatiable gym-goer. Be smart in the gym, and out. You want to keep crushing your workouts, not have them crush you!

How often do you take a day off? Once a week? Twice a week? Ever? What’s the longest you’ve gone without? Get the conversation started in the comment section below!

Thanks for reading.