What Happens to Your Body When You Train Every Day.If there is an advice on fitness that is often not spoken sufficiently, it is the importance of having at least one day of rest a week. With so many fit and engaged people in this world and social networks dominated by fitness models, it is easy to fall into the habit of thinking that to be healthy, we should exercise every day of the week.Curious about what really happens to your bodies when we skip the rest day? The two fitness experts, Michelle Opperman and Jan Milano, explain once and for all why we should allow ourselves a day of rest.
- Your energy levels will decrease.
Opperman and Milano noted that when you do not rest, your glycogen decreases. Glycogen is your body’s energy source and therefore is not something you want to decrease. Milano says lowering glycogen levels will lead to muscle fatigue because “lowering glycogen can contribute to lower lactate responses.”
- You risk getting sick
Cortisone and cortisol are stress hormones, which are not good for weight loss and may even contribute to fat retention around the belly area. High levels of these hormones are also associated with a decreased immune system, which means skipping the rest day puts you at greater risk of getting sick.
- Your heart goes crazy
“Both the resting heart rate and the heart rate during exercise are increased,” said Milano. In short, resting is good for your heart.
- You Lose Muscle Mass
Opperman notes that when rest is not taken into account in a training program, your performance capacity actually diminishes. This means that training more will not really lead to an increase in muscle growth and strength as you have not allowed your muscles time to recover and regenerate.
- You will feel bad
When you do not allow yourself to rest for a few days, you do not allow time for the small injuries to your muscles to heal, which leads to brittleness and swelling. If you are in physical pain, you will naturally not perform well during workouts when you are not in the physical condition to exercise your best.
- Your mental state will also be impacted.
We already understand that your body will suffer, but both Opperman and Milano warn that lack of rest is also bad for your mind. “Decreased vigor, motivation and confidence; high blood pressure, depression and anger accompany an individual’s lack of recovery, ”said Milano.
Moral of the story – take the time to rest! If you can’t do nothing, try gentle yoga or light walking during your rest days. You may feel like you are not progressing, but your body will thank you for it.
