It can be easier than you think to overtrain when you’re so close to achieving a particular goal. However, what people tend to neglect in their training regime is scheduled rest days. Including rest in your exercise plan can actually significantly help you achieve your goals - if your body and mind are well rested, you’ll have more energy and strength to train. Here are 3 signs that you might be in need of a rest day.
1 - You feel tired all the time
If you’re getting plenty of sleep but still feeling fatigued most of the time, this is probably your body telling you to take a break. Pushing yourself to continue training when you’re feeling exhausted will only make you feel worse.
2 - Your DOMS lasts more than three days
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS, generally lasts between 24-72 hours after an intense workout. If you’re noticing your DOMS are sticking around longer than this, you might need to take a rest day to let your muscles properly recover.
3 - You’re noticing a decrease in performance
This ties into our first point - if you’re fatigued, you’re most likely not going to perform as well as usual. It’s easy to get frustrated because of this and keep pushing yourself to try and reach the level you’re usually at, but - you guessed it - this will only make things worse. Let your body rest and recover before trying again.
Keep in mind, taking a rest day doesn’t necessarily mean complete rest. While it could mean that for you, it could also mean going for a short walk or taking a low intensity yoga class - it will vary from person to person due to a number of different factors. Take a look at our blog on active recovery versus complete rest here for more information.
Realistically, only you will know when your body needs a rest day. You’ll probably need to go through some trial and error to see how often you need rest days, and whether these days should be complete rest days or active recovery days.