Do you actually need a rest day?
It sounds like such a simple question, but I think we sometimes get a bit confused about what a “rest day” actually needs to look like.
Does it mean you shouldn’t exercise at all? Can you go for a walk? What about Pilates? And if your legs are supposed to be recovering, surely walking up the stairs, carrying the shopping and generally getting on with your day means you’re still using them?!
The good news is that resting a muscle does not mean you have to stop using it completely.
So, let’s talk about what muscle recovery actually means and how you can give your body the recovery it needs without feeling like you have to spend the entire day lying on the sofa.
Although, if you WANT a day on the sofa, you absolutely can 😂
What Does a Rest Day Actually Mean?
When we talk about resting a muscle, we’re generally talking about giving it a break from training, not from normal everyday movement.
Let’s say you do a lower body strength workout on Monday. You squat, lunge, lift your weights and properly challenge those muscles.
On Tuesday, you’re obviously still going to use your legs.
You’re going to walk around. You might walk the dog. You’ll get up and down from your chair, climb the stairs, carry the shopping, chase after the kids…
That’s normal life.
There’s a big difference between using a muscle and giving it enough of a training stimulus that it then needs time to recover.
So no, you don’t need to avoid using your legs for 48 hours because you did squats yesterday!
What About Active Recovery?
This is where active recovery can be really lovely.
Rather than doing another hard training session, you might choose something gentler that gets your body moving without putting it under the same level of stress.
That could be:
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Going for a walk
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Doing some mobility
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A gentle Pilates session
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Some yoga
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A good stretch
It doesn’t need to be another “workout”.
You’re not trying to sneak another training session into your rest day 😂 You’re just moving your body in a way that feels good.
Gentle movement can help with blood flow and can often help you feel less stiff and sore after training too.
But equally, if you’re absolutely shattered and your body is telling you it needs a proper rest, LISTEN TO IT.
You don’t get extra points for doing a recovery walk when what you really need is a day off.
Recovery Isn’t Just About Rest Days
Something else we talked about in this week’s Q&A was tension.
Because sometimes we make our workouts SO much harder than they need to be simply because everything is tense.
Have a little think about what happens when you’re lifting a weight.
Are your shoulders creeping up towards your ears?
Are you clenching your jaw?
Are you gripping your dumbbells as though somebody is about to wrestle them off you? 😂
Is your whole body tensed up when actually you’re trying to work one particular area?
Some tension is obviously necessary. If you’re lifting weights, your muscles need to create force and your core needs to support you.
But we don’t need EVERYTHING joining in.
If you’re doing a bicep curl, for example, we want the biceps doing the work. We don’t need your jaw, neck and shoulders getting involved for moral support 😂
The next time you’re strength training, have a quick check in with yourself.
Can you relax your jaw?
Can you drop your shoulders away from your ears?
Can you loosen your grip slightly while still holding the weights safely?
Can you keep your core supported without tensing every muscle in your body?
You might be surprised by how much tension you’re holding without even realising it.
Don’t Forget to Breathe!
This is another BIG one.
When something feels hard, it’s really easy to hold your breath.
Try to think about breathing out on the effort.
So, if you’re doing a shoulder press, breathe out as you press the weights overhead.
If you’re doing a squat, breathe out as you push through your feet to stand back up.
You don’t need to obsess over getting your breathing absolutely perfect with every single rep. The biggest thing is that you’re actually breathing and not turning purple halfway through your set 😂
How Do You Know When to Increase Your Weights?
Recovery and progression go hand in hand too.
We want to challenge our muscles because that’s how we get stronger, but that doesn’t mean grabbing the heaviest dumbbells you can find and hoping for the best.
Increase your weights gradually.
If you’ve been using 2kg dumbbells and they’re starting to feel really comfortable, you might try 3kg next time.
You don’t have to jump straight to 6kg.
And you absolutely don’t have to stick with the heavier weights for an entire workout just because you started with them.
Maybe you manage the first eight reps with your heavier dumbbells and then need to drop down.
That’s FINE.
I’d much rather you do that than force your way through with a weight that’s too heavy and completely lose your form.
Getting stronger isn’t about proving you can lift the heaviest weight in the room. It’s about gradually giving your muscles a little bit more to do as they get stronger.
So, Do You Really Need a Rest Day?
Yes, recovery matters.
But a rest day doesn’t have to mean doing absolutely nothing.
You can walk. You can stretch. You can do some gentle mobility. You can carry the shopping, walk up the stairs and get on with your normal life.
Equally, you CAN lie on the sofa and do absolutely nothing if that’s what you need.
The important bit is giving your body a break from constantly training hard.
You don’t need to earn your rest and you don’t need to turn your recovery day into another workout.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your next workout is give your body a chance to recover from the last one. 💜
Fancy Doing It With Us?
If you’re reading this thinking, “I just need to get myself back into a proper routine”, our 6 Week Reboot is OPEN! 🎉
It’s six weeks of short, effective workouts, support and accountability to help you get back into a routine that actually works around YOUR life.
A realistic way to get moving, build your strength and feel good again.
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🎧 Prefer to listen?
This blog came from a discussion in one of our Squad Q&As. You can listen to the podcast episode on Spotify or watch over on YouTube.
