Which memes describe your rest day?  💕

 

If you know me, you are aware that I LOVE memes, so I curated a few memes about different types of rest days!

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For me, I prefer to to literally rest on my rest days 😂. I tend to engage in meaningful activities (e.g., doing my skincare routine, practicing positive self-affirmations). 

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Earlier in my fitness journey, I made the mistake of never taking rest days. I exercised every day without breaks. I was constantly exhausted and I experienced muscle soreness. This is why, I am so glad that I implemented 2-3 rest days into my workout routine. I often complete intense workouts each week, so allowing my body to rest has been instrumental in me having a good workout. I actually have energy and I often look forward to returning to the gym. 

 

Before we dive into the benefits of rest days, let's discuss why it is pertinent to understand the risks of overexercising. A study shows that rest days prevent overtraining syndrome, which describes the imbalance between exercising, nutrition and resting. While the study focuses on athlete training, it provides clarity on how overexercising can lead to fatigue, sleep problems and other factors.

 

Similarly, lack of rest days result in not allotting sufficient time for muscles to repair themselves. Therefore, muscle soreness inevitably occurs. According to Ace, "It’s during the recovery period after the exercise that the body repairs the muscle proteins and replaces the glycogen (stored glucose in liver and muscle tissue) used to fuel the workout." In other words, your body needs time to recover from the physical stress of exercises, so you don't endure burn out.

 

While there are other issues associated with overexercising, there are also benefits of rest days. Below, I have recapped some benefits of taking a rest day.

 

Benefits of rest days

• Repairing muscles

• Alleviate soreness

• Spending more time with

• Focus on other hobbies

 

I’ve also identified some ways you can spend your rest days. 

 

Rest day activities

• Calling your besties - spill the tea with your besties

• Sleeping -  try to get some rest, so you can be ready for your next workout 

• Stretching - stretch to alleviate muscle tension

• Walking outside - take a walk outside and enjoy some fresh air 

 

Disclaimer ⚠️: this should not be substituted as medical advice; these are my personal experiences, always consult your physician.