6 Important Signs That Indicate You Need A Rest Day

We know you have a few questions, but do not worry. We will answer them. So, how does resting your muscles influence your fitness journey? When you allow your body to take a day off, you are actually helping your body to adjust to your fitness routine.

Every hard workout causes your body to naturally break down your muscles. This happens when you push your body to the limit, but without resting and allowing your muscles to build, all this would be useless. When you take a day off to rest, your muscle fibers get time to repair and come back bigger and stronger. So what happens if you don’t take rest days?

If you do not take these rests or gaps, you will be continuously breaking down your muscles without letting them repair. Thus, taking rest days is important. Most gym rats know when to rest and let their body recover from all the week’s workouts.

However, we have noticed that those who are new to the gym often tend to over workout because they are always under the misconception that the more they workout, the faster they reach their health goals.

But this mentality is wrong and actually stops you from reaching your goals faster. Here are the top five signs your body needs rest from exercise. Keep in mind, you can always adjust your rest days to suit the type of activity that works best for you!

How Do You Know You’re Too Tired To Workout?

Sometimes, the signs are subtle, and other times, your body practically screams for rest. But how do you know for sure what your body needs? Well, here are the most common signs you are too tired to workout.

1. When You are Moody and Feel Tired

If you feel like you need another hour of sleep even after getting your required 7-9 hours, it can be a sign of overtraining and burnout. Also, overtraining can make it hard to fall asleep, which only makes it worse. Besides being tired all the time, you might experience headaches or mental fatigue, resulting in moodiness and feeling off. If your body doesn’t feel right, it’s a clear sign you need a rest day!

You might ask, isn’t working out an endorphin booster that keeps you in a good mood? So, how is working out making you moody? Well, the answer is simple: working out is completely different when compared to overworking your body when your body is crying for rest.

2. When You are Feeling Unwell

Lack of proper rest after exercising can weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to illness. Although regular exercise can strengthen your immune system over time, overdoing it shifts your body’s energy towards muscle repair instead of maintaining immune responses to fight off sickness. When you fall ill, it is one of the signs you are too tired to workout, and now you need to take a day or two off.

3. When You are Always Dealing with Injuries or Soreness

If you just started to work out or have been working out for months now, I bet you still remember the first few days of your journey when you were always sore. Walking down and up the stairs was a nightmare. But being sore is common when you are changing up your routine or adding new moves to your fitness chart.

But the problem arises when you still feel sore even after 2 to 3 days of resting. This is a clear sign of overworking and over-training at the gym. More importantly, new and unfamiliar exercises can sometimes lead to minor injuries. These injuries need extra days of rest to let your body focus on healing.

When you add an extra gym rest day into your routine, it can greatly improve the effectiveness of your workouts. If you have a serious injury, you should know when to take a rest day from the gym without overworking yourself.

4. When You Are Hitting A weight Plateau

Imagine working hard at the gym and also maintaining your calorie intake, but seeing no results or being stuck at a particular weight for weeks. The reason is that you have hit a weight plateau due to over-training.

When you exercise too much without giving your body time to repair the muscle tissues you are breaking down, you end up losing more muscle than you gain. Adding a few rest days to your routine while maintaining your calorie intake will allow for proper recovery. And you will be amazed at the progress you will make after a much-needed gym rest day.

5. When You Feel Like Taking a Rest Day

“LISTEN TO YOUR BODY” 

You are the one in charge of your body, and only you can understand how you feel after a long week of training. You also have to give importance to your mental health as much as you care about your physical health. If you need to keep yourself moving while you are taking the day off, you can try out some low-intensity workouts and stretches to keep your body in motion.

6. When Your Performance Starts Dropping

If your usual workouts suddenly feel harder or you’re lifting less weight than normal, it’s a sign that you’re too tired to workout. When you’re unsure how to know when to rest from working out, you need to pay attention to these dips in strength or stamina. They mean your muscles need recovery time so that they can work perfectly again!

What are the Signs You are Too Tired to Workout (for Woman)

Whether it’s stress, hormones, or lack of sleep, pushing through when you’re exhausted can do more harm than good. So, instead of forcing yourself to do another workout, you need to know these signs that mean your body needs a break!

➢  Sleep Issues: You feel exhausted even after getting enough sleep.

➢  Soreness: Your muscles feel sore or unusually heavy.

➢  Mood: Your mood is off, and you’re irritable, emotional, or unmotivated.

➢  Low Concentration: Your focus is low, and even warm-ups feel hard.

➢  Tiredness: You’ve no energy to workout or feel sluggish around your menstrual cycle.

These are the signs your body needs rest from exercise, so if these are relatable to you, you need to take a break!

How to Plan Rest Days (and What to Do Instead)

Taking rest doesn’t always mean you’ll be doing nothing. Here’s how you can recover while still staying active!

• Doing yoga or stretching
• Walking or cycling
• A warm bath or sauna for muscle relaxation
• Prioritizing hydration and protein-rich meals
• A good night’s sleep, which is the #1 recovery tool

Also, if you track your cycle, you can schedule harder workouts during high-energy phases and use low-energy days for your recovery.

What Happens If You Don’t Rest? (The Consequences)

When you ignore rest days, it won’t push you closer to your fitness goals; it’ll actually slow down your progress. And if you continue this for a long time, these are some of the problems you’ll face –

• Higher risk of injuries and sprains
• Increased fatigue and slower muscle recovery
• Lower motivation and reduced performance
• Hormonal imbalance and poor sleep
• Weight loss plateaus or even weight gain
• Weakened immune system, causing more sick days

When you’re resting, it doesn’t mean you’re quitting. Instead, it means you’re preparing your body for better results!

More Questions People Ask About Rest Days (When They’re Too Tired to Workout)

❖ How often should women take rest days from the gym?

Most women should take 1 or 2 rest days per week to give their muscles time to rebuild and prevent burnout.

❖ Can I do light activity on a rest day?

Absolutely! You can go for a walk, stretch, or try yoga to help your body recover without adding extra strain.

❖ What are the signs you need a rest day to lose weight?

If you’re constantly tired before, during, or after the workout, then you need to take a rest day. Otherwise, overtraining can slow down your metabolism rate & increase your stress hormones, making it harder for you to burn fat.

❖ What are the signs you need a rest day from running/jogging?

If your legs feel heavy, your pace keeps slowing, or you’re anxious about your next run, those are signs you need a rest day from running. Constant soreness, nagging pain, or poor sleep are also red flags. Taking a break helps prevent injury, rebuild muscle strength, and boost your performance on your next run.

Takeaway

Taking proper rest is extremely important when you are on your fitness journey! And your first step is to look at the signs that mean you’re too tired to workout. If you’re feeling unwell, have injuries, soreness, have a dip in your performance, or have no energy to workout, you can take a rest day (without feeling guilty). 

This way, you can take care of your physical health and ensure you’re not putting too much strain on your body!

Read More About:

• The Benefits of Restorative Yoga for Mind and Body Wellness
• The Link Between Sleep and Fitness for Better Performance
• 9 Reasons You’re Not Seeing the Progress at the Gym
• Strength Training Myths and Facts Every Woman Should Know

Ready to Train Smarter, Not Harder? Join Sports West Athletic Club Today!

Our experienced personal trainers at Sports West Athletic Club specialize in strength training and can guide you on the best practices to avoid burnout. With their help, you can make sure that your workouts are effective and safe, allowing your body the rest it needs to build stronger muscles.

We have luxurious gyms where you can workout with experienced trainers to build your body and stay fit. Our club access starts at only $69 per month. Plus, we’re open for you 24/7.

So, call us at 775-348-6666 to start your fitness journey today!