“That time when you allow yourself to do nothing is when your body's adapting, particularly if you have done a lot of training and exercise,” says nutritionist and women's health expert Renee McGregor. “A full day of rest is an opportunity for your body to recalibrate.
You need rest days to reset and recover. That doesn't mean you can't play light sports, do light cardio, go for a swim, do light yoga, etc. It just means you shouldn't feel the need to do something on your day off if you're really putting your all into your routine. You can rest, breathe, and recover for a day.
First off, let's get this straight: spending your day off doing ``nothing'' is completely normal--and sometimes exactly what you need. You just worked five mentally exhausting days. Your brain deserves a break, and unwinding with games, music, or movies isn't laziness; it's maintenance for your mental health.
Well, contrary to popular belief, rest is not just about doing nothing. It's actually an active process that allows our brains and bodies to recover, repair, and grow. Rest can help improve our memory, creativity, decision-making, physical health, and even our productivity.
Lots of people work out seven days a week and are absolutely fine, although it may not be sustainable forever - make sure you eat enough calories and protein to sustain your activity level, get plenty of good sleep, and listen to your body and take time off if you need.
In Summary:
The optimal days a week to workout for strength training is anywhere between 3 to 5 days, but cardiovascular training can be done in short or long sessions, as long as you are meeting the recommended weekly minutes.
Is it okay to not be doing anything? Absolutely, it's okay to not be doing anything sometimes. In fact, taking time to rest and do nothing can be beneficial for your mental and physical health.
Your body needs time to recover from mental and physical exertion and this comes from simply lying down and doing nothing. In doing so, you are activating your parasympathetic nervous system. Think of it like working out to get stronger; it is the rest days on which your muscles are given the space to grow.
Why your body needs rest days. Just like your body needs sleep every night to recover from the day, it also needs occasional rest days to recover from workouts. Taking some downtime between exercise sessions is essential for building strength and preventing injury.
Rest is important. Try to not buy into the lie that society and culture puts on you that you must be busy and doing things every hour of every day, and if you are not, you are deemed lazy or procrastinating, or throwing your life away. We are humans and we are created to have balance not to go-go-go all of the time.
Key points. The relentless cycle of busyness and overwork leaves little room for rest or simply “being.” Taking time to pause and engage in restorative activities is not only beneficial but necessary. Prioritizing rest and time for doing “nothing” enables us to show up more fully for ourselves and others.
Common reasons could be stress, feeling ill, burnout, and grief. Mental health conditions that one should be looking at in case it interferes with daily life are anxiety, ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, bipolar disorders, and even depression.
“A full day of rest is an opportunity for your body to recalibrate. When you're physically active all the time, a lot of chemical reactions are constantly happening. The body needs an opportunity to be still to ask itself what's going on and what needs fixing.
Downtime between workouts (whether you're lifting, doing cardio or training for a sport) is when our bodies have a chance to actually build muscle. Strenuous workouts cause muscle breakdown, while rest allows our bodies to build it back up.
Occasionally staying in bed all day, such as on a relaxing weekend or when you're feeling under the weather, is generally acceptable. Taking a day to rest and recharge can be beneficial for both mental and physical health.
Regularly getting too little sleep is linked to a number of chronic diseases, not to mention irritability and sluggishness during the day. But did you know that sleeping too much could also be problematic? Oversleeping is associated with many health problems, including: Type 2 diabetes.
When you allow yourself time to do nothing, you give your brain a chance to process experiences, consolidate memories, and reinforce learning. Your resting state is a powerful tool for regulating your emotions and maintaining the ability to focus. Rest will also help you make better decisions and be more productive.
“Doing nothing can trigger a continuous chain of benefits. As your creativity and productivity improve, so do your mood and overall well-being. As you boost your mental health, you're more likely to look for ways to help others,” Dr. MacLean says.
Lack of purpose can affect all aspects of your life, and can cause you to ruminate on anxious thoughts that cause you distress. Having a purpose in life is important for your mental wellbeing and can help you live a more fulfilled and content life.
Thus, being less productive or doing nothing, even if only for a few days, can lead to feelings of inadequacy. Having free time might also make you feel like you are missing out on some important tasks or experiences, leading to increased anxiety.
Unfortunately, there's no concrete answer to that question. For most people, the answer is… less. If you're training six or seven times per week but you're not training for a specific sport, event or competition, chances are you're overtraining.
But in some cases, extreme exercise can damage the heart. Research is showing that a small percentage of middle-aged and older athletes who compete in endurance events over many years may be at higher risk for developing atrial fibrillation – an irregular heartbeat – and other heart problems.