When quitting puts you ahead

Taking rest days to avoid overtraining and the negative consequences thereof is arguably as important as training itself.

Muscle strength is built through rest. This is because the muscle undergoes tiny tears during exercise; especially very strenuous exercise like weight training. The muscle grows stronger as it is repaired through rest. The consequences of not allowing your body to rest and recover enough between bouts of exercise can be very damaging in the long term.

For beginner athletes and professionals alike, taking rest days can be difficult, especially when event day is looming large. Here are some signs that you do need to take a rest, before you begin to lose strength and speed and undo all the hard work you’ve done. If you have three or more of the following symptoms, related to stress, you likely need to take a rest day:

1. You lost 2% or more of your body weight from yesterday.
2. Your resting heart-rate is higher than usual.
3. You’re not sleeping well.
4. You’re dehydrated.
5. You’re feeling more tired than usual.
6. You’re grumpy.
7. You’re getting sick often.
8. You’re injured often.
9. You don’t feel like your workouts are going well.

If you have any three or more of these symptoms it’s time to take a rest day. Rest actually improves your performance and insures that you can keep improving. According to biokineticist Ceejae Miller, you need at least one full rest day a week regardless of your level of fitness. But, she says, you can also engage in a gentle form of activity that’s completely different from your normal mode of exercise, tennis, for instance, if you’re training for a triathlon. Embark triathlon coach David Sullivan further recommends a recovery week every four weeks where you reduce the volume and intensity of your training to give yourself a good recovery.

Your training schedule should always be flexible enough to allow you a day of recovery, and an extra day if you’re feeling run down. Importantly, says Miller, don’t try to make up sessions if you’ve missed them; this will only result in overtraining. Train smart, rest, and avoid overtraining.

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