Anyone that takes their training seriously will know that taking days to rest is just as important as doing the exercises. Rest days allow our muscles to knit back together and repair themselves, which is how muscles grow stronger and bigger after a workout. For this reason, among others, rest days are vital to maintaining muscle mass while also restoring energy levels so that we can tackle our next round of training. Keep reading to find out how to truly maximise your resting days and achieve more muscle mass and stamina.
Sleeping In
Resting days are ideally set on days where there’s no other obligations for the trainer, such as on the weekend. And this is perfect, because it’s recommended to stay in bed a bit longer than usual and try and get as much sleep as possible. Sleep is cornerstone of good training, as this is when the body undergoes full maintenance mode, removing toxins, repairing damage, and much more. Sleeping is just as important as hitting the gym – if not more so – and rest days can be used to catch up on any sleep that’s lost during the week, although most people will need to try and aim for around 8 hours of sleep.
Eat Fresh Foods
It’s extremely tempting to cheat during a resting day and opt for fast or processed foods that are low on nutrients, fibre, and antioxidants. But rest days are when the body is doing the majority of its repairs, which means that it needs access to a wide variety of micro and macronutrients in order to fix and build muscle. Healthy fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are extremely important, and the trainer should try and eat as many fresh foods as they can get their hands on, including a range of vegetables, fruit, and dark, leafy greens. The more nutrients that the body is given, the faster it’s able to fix damage and get everything working properly again, so giving it the right fuel is vital.
Stay Hydrated
There’s a lot of emphasis on staying hydrated while working out, but a lot of trainers don’t take the same advice during rest days. Hydration is just as important during recovery as during exercise, and a trainer will want to make sure that they are getting more than enough fluid for their body to properly recover. Try and avoid drinks that are too sweet or loaded with caffeine, and rather focus on cold water instead as much as possible – water is perfect for sipping while watching a TV series of playing Canadian casino online games. When properly hydrated, the body is performing as well as it’s meant to, which means optimum healing times for muscle repair.
Recovery And Rest Days
There’s nothing wrong with taking a full day’s rest to allow the body to fix itself up, but for trainers that are feeling fidgety at home, it’s also possible to do some very light activity during a day off, such as going for a walk or having a slow swim.