Every athlete should take a break from working out. No, I’m not talking about those days when you rest between workouts. For example, training day, recovery day after it, another training, a rest-day once again, and so on. I mean a longer period during which you won’t have any physical activity. Otherwise speaking, this is a complete and rather long post-workout revival, which can last a week, two, or even three.
The importance and necessity of a break from working out
If you exercise regularly for years, the body does not have time to recover completely. Perhaps a day or two between workouts is enough for your muscles. But this is not enough for the joints and ligaments. Therefore, the first argument for a break from working out is the necessity to give you a good rest to reduce the risk of injury.
The second argument lies in the fact that practised athletes are bound to increase exercise stress or change their training methods for the sake of progress. But a break from working out for a couple of weeks can provide the same effect. The body will recover, you will return to the regimen and this will become a kind of impact to a new round of your training progress.
How long should a training break be?
Each athlete decides for himself how much he needs to rest from physical exertion. But in any case, such a break should last significantly longer than the usual pause between workouts. The main thing to remember is that rest of up to a month is normal. During this period, you are guaranteed to recover, but you will not lose strength, muscle, and shape.
What are the benefits of taking a break from working out?
Body recovery is hardly the only bonus you get. Here are a few more reasons why you should slam on the brakes and take a pause:
- you will restore not only your muscles but also the nervous system;
- you can pay attention to things that you didn’t have time to do before;
- you can meet up with friends, spare a while with your family and just be lazy;
- you will take care of your health and heal old injuries;
- you will calmly analyze your training regimen and change it for the better;
- you will be able to revivify the motivation to workout if you lost it.
How to push yourself to take a break from working out?
This paragraph may appear strange to beginners. But experienced athletes know well how hard it’s to get out of the groove. Without workouts, you feel like a narcotist during sick. I find out the hard way. When you’re a lifetime sportsperson, it is extremely difficult to live without a gym. Therefore, the easiest way to take a pause is to change the environment. For example, go on vacation. This is the easiest way to pawn off the routine and live for pleasure. Believe me, even the ploy can get boring. A lazy rest at least once a year will have a beneficial effect on your progress and health.
