It's Christmas - time to be with the ones you love! My gym is closed today (not that I would have been disciplined enough to go). Here are 9 great reasons why you should take a day of rest every once in a while...works for me!
In our more-is-better world, it's easy to get caught in the overtraining
trap. But when it comes to your workouts, it pays to do less. We're
certainly not telling anyone to quit exercising, but your workout schedule
should have built-in rest days (and even weeks sometimes!). Not
convinced? Here are nine reasons why you shouldn't go to the gym every
single day:
1. Your muscles grow when you rest.
Lifting weights creates tiny tears in your muscles that can only repair
during rest. This repair process is what makes your muscles stronger
than before. While it's important to work your muscles (hard!) to
stimulate muscle-building proteins, it's equally as important to give
your body enough time to recover (usually until you're no longer sore).
2. Overtraining can cause a weight-loss plateau. You
know that working out too often or too intensely can lead to too much
weight loss, but most people don't realize that it can also have the
opposite effect. Thanks to your body's built-in protective mechanisms,
overtraining can cause a plateau in your weight loss or even weight gain (unrelated to increased muscle mass).
3. Overtraining can mess with your menstrual cycle and cause amenorrhea, the absence of menstruation. Aunt
Flo may not be your favorite visitor, but think of your period as the
canary in the coal mine. Its presence indicates that your body thinks
it's in good shape to grow a baby and its absence signifies a problem,
especially if it disappears for three months or more. The drop in
estrogen can also cause premature bone loss, making you even weaker and
more susceptible to injury.
4. Trouble sleeping? You might be overtraining.
Needing excessive sleep to fuel your workouts or being unable to sleep,
even when you're very tired, are both indicators that something is
wrong.
5. Overtraining can cause mood problems. Exercise
can be a potent anti-depressant—studies show it works just as well as
medication for mild depression. And we can attest to the mood-boosting
power of the runner's high. But too much exercise can have the opposite
effect, causing anxiety over workout schedules and depression from being
chronically run down.
6. More exercise = bigger appetite.
You don't need to be a rocket scientist to notice the link between
exercise and hunger. The more you train, the more energy your body needs
to sustain that exertion and the hungrier you get. Women often fear
that cutting back on their cardio will make them gain weight, but that's
not how it works. Your hunger usually decreases in proportion with your
lighter workout schedule, so you won't feel the need to feed your body
nearly as much.
7. You'll feel exhausted… all the time!
We all love the great energy burst we get from an awesome workout, but
more exercise does not always mean more energy. If your workouts are
regularly making you crash in the afternoon or drag through your day
because you're so tired and sore you can barely move, then you're doing
too much. Listen to your body. If it says, "I'm so sore that I dread
sitting down to go the bathroom," the intense Kettlebell session you
have planned is not what it needs.
8. Overtraining often leads to burnout.
In the end, life is about balance. We all have limited resources—time,
energy, money, physical reserves—and spending too much of them on
exercise can lead to burnout. It's better to commit to a sane program
that fits in with your schedule and goals than to go all out and want to
quit after one month. Exercise is a lifelong pursuit, and it should make you happy. Find a balance that works for you—your body and your life.
9. It eats up your limited free time.
Medical problems aside, hitting the gym for lengthy workouts every day
is a big time commitment. It's important to make time for other
quality-of-life boosters too, such as hanging out with friends and
family, learning something new, treating yourself to manicure, or even
catching up on your secret Real Housewives addiction (don't worry, we won't tell).
