Hello again! Carly here again. I recently spoke on recovery, and different aspects of recovery that I invited you to look at within yourself to determine whether you are giving your body the opportunity to recover from your workouts. In terms of recovery, rest days are also incredibly important.
If you are strength training regularly, you probably already have planned rest days within your schedule. But what about rest days on days you had planned to work out?
This is kind of a tricky topic, as often many of the signs you might need a rest day are often alleviated when you choose to work out anyway. But what about the very real chances of working out anyway through some of the signs that you should not workout and end up injuring yourself? I am going to take some time today to sort through some of this.
I made a list of completely valid reasons to stay home or do something else instead of your planned workout. The decision you make is a matter of personal decision, and there is no right or wrong. (Please know that advice is directed primarily towards people who have consistent habits surrounding their workouts, not towards people who regularly miss and skip workouts, as I will generally guide those people towards working out anyway to build the discipline. The mind will try to talk inconsistent people out of their workouts and come up with any excuse to not get it done.)
Signs You Should DEFINITELY Take a Rest Day:
- You are sick
- You are injured
- You are in pain
- You are experiencing multiple signs from the above list.
In general, missing a workout here and there is not a big deal if you are otherwise consistent. The goal is to avoid injury and burnout, so listen to your body. I hope this list helps to give some perspective.
Talk soon,
Carly Leasure, CPT, CNC, WLS
