Feature Friday: Why Take A Rest Day?

Happy Friday! This is basically like my Sunday, since I have to work for the next four days so I’m taking advantage of the day off and trying to get as many chores done as possible. I like to get all my meal prep and clothes laid out in the morning so I can have the rest of the day to do fun things (like running or reading)! My body is TIRED from my 19.5 mile long run yesterday, so I’m very much looking forward to my rest day tomorrow. I am NOT looking forward to losing an hour of precious sleep Sunday morning (since I already get very little sleep between my shifts), but it will be so nice for it to be lighter out later in the evenings. YAY for longer days ahead.

So, why are rest days important each week? They allow your body time to recovery, replenish, ‘fill its tank’ for the week ahead, and adapt to the previous weeks training load. If you never take rest days (I.e. very gentle movement), then you’re putting your body at an increased risk for injury or burn-out.

Everyone’s body is different, so some can run everyday of the year and never get injured, but it’s also important to recognize that they are probably also running at a wide range of speeds to give their body the necessary time it needs to adapt and get stronger. When we rest, our muscles rebuild the fibers that slowly get broken down during harder/longer training runs. I like to think of it as we’re stitching our body back together.

It’s good to get some movement in your body during rest days- like walking, yoga, light cycling, gentle stretching, or swimming to help stimulate the blood flow to your muscles (helps repair them faster), but listen to your body. Sometimes I really just need a day of total ‘nothingness’ and that’s OK! Over time, you’ll come to know your body better and be able to recover from your workouts more efficiently.

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—How do you like to spend your rest days?
-Favorite cross-training activity?