How To Take A Break From Your Workout Routine

Whether you want to lose weight, look like the best version of yourself, are training for an athletic competition, or just flat out love to work out, getting your daily dose of exercise is what many people look forward to most in a day. Some people seem to be able to work out virtually every single day, while others may struggle to get in their daily dose of physical activity. You might wonder how much physical activity you actually need. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity a week, with 2 days of training targeted at strengthening muscles. Depending on how you want to distribute that recommended time for physical activity, you could work out every single day of the week.

However, there is such a thing as too much exercise. When you work out without giving your body enough time to rest, you can prevent proper recovery. This overtraining can lead to elevated cortisol levels and consequently negatively impact your health and performance. You may notice a lack of motivation and sore muscles every day. But some people simply cannot dedicate an entire day to inactivity. Luckily, there's something called active recovery, which allows you to stay relatively active during a rest day and may even boost your recovery. Here's everything you need to know.

According to WebMD, staying active during your day off from working out is a practice known as active recovery, or rest day workouts. During your regular exercise, you probably engage in high-intensity workouts that get your heart rate up and work your muscles vigorously. An active recovery workout is a much lower intensity, but they may actually boost recovery more than just laying around all day. Active recovery may promote blood flow, which also helps remove waste from the bloodstream. It also can also help remove lactic acid, and even promote the healing of your muscles. You might wonder what type of activities you can do during an off day that enable you to recover without pushing the limit. 

Healthline notes that some common rest day activities include bike riding, walking, stretching, and even yoga. While rest day activities can be helpful, it is best to listen to your body if you are injured. In fact, performing active recovery while you are injured can make an injury worse (per WebMD).