REST!

If you're like me, taking a rest day is easier said than done. There is no stopping, one does not simple stop doing things for an entire day! Good thing you don't have to, well, not exactly.

It's absolutely vital to take appropriate rest days. I'm not saying you shouldn't do anything on your days off. What I'm saying is, that no matter what you are training, you MUST take 1-3 days off that specific activity per week. There's a long list of reasons why rest days are so important. The obvious is that resting muscle groups that were worked the day before gives your body the necessary time it needs to recover and build. What happens when you exercise is you are actually tearing your muscle fibers. Giving the recently worked muscle groups 48hrs to recover ensures that your muscles have rebuilt and are ready for use, optimizing the amount you gain per workout.

Secondly, resting prevents injuries. Depending on your workouts more or less rest will be required. Certain activities like rock climbing are often over worked, because while a climbers muscles feel fine, the underlying danger comes in the tendons, which we typically don't think of needing rest.

In addition to the physical benefits of taking a rest day, comes the psychological benefits of it. Not only can you overwork your body, but you can overwork your mind. Taking a rest day every once in a while will help keep things fresh, and help keep you motivated. Remember, if you're not a pro athlete, working out isn't your job. So have fun with it. Never forget that.

Lastly, I need to emphasize that taking a "rest" day doesn't mean doing nothing. I personally find that near impossible. People should always be doing something. If your a rock climber or lifter, your off days should be spent doing other activities like running or hiking. And vice versa, if you're a runner or road biker, your off days should be spent strength training.

The moral of the story is, take a break! Non pro athletes workout to improve their quality of life and getting hurt doesn't fit in that at all.