Being consistent with your exercise routine is important. However, there are times when doing an intensive workout or running 10k run might not be what’s best for your body. While dedication is important for long-term success, it is important to let your body rest and recover when it needs it. Below are some circumstances where you might want to consider taking a day off your normal training routine.
1. You didn’t sleep well the night before
The importance of good sleep should not be underestimated. We all struggle with sleeping from time to time. However, if you had a particularly bad night, for whatever reason, lifting weights or doing intensive cardio training might not be the best idea. Your body is already under stress and you definitely don’t want to add more stress through intensive exercise. Lack of sleep will result in lack of concentration and poor coordination. This can lead to poor technique and potential injuries. You will benefit more from light cardio activity, for example going for a walk.
2. You are sore from previous sessions
Experiencing delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is common if you are relatively new to exercise. Even if you are not a beginner, DOMS may also occur when you try new exercises/equipment or increase intensity (adding more load, reps or time under tension). While occasionally experiencing DOMS is completely normal, if your entire body is aching and you can barely move taking a day off would be necessary. Performing gentle stretches might be a better alternative.
Often, muscle soreness that doesn’t go away might be a sign of overtraining. Overtraining, in turn, will stand in the way of achieving progress in your training and can result in burnout or injuries. Making sure you have a sufficient amount of rest days per week and avoiding training the same muscles several days in a row will help you ensure adequate recovery.
3. You feel weak/exhausted
There are times when you feel a bit tired and a good workout session might be what you need to feel more energetic. However, there are times when all your body needs is to rest. If you worked a twelve-hour shift, are jet-lagged or simply completely worn out from a stressful week at work, it might be a good idea to take a day off training and focus on resting and recovering.
4. You are hungover
It might be tempting to go to the gym the next day after a night out to “sweat out” the toxins. However, you are likely to cause your body more harm than good. First, your body is already dehydrated and exercise will only make it worse. Second, similarly to being sleep deprived, being hungover will result in less than optimal levels of concentration and coordination. Finally, performing intensive workouts will slow down your recovery from a hangover and only make you feel worse. The best you can do is focus on recovering from excessive alcohol by eating well, staying hydrated and going for a walk to get fresh air.
5. You are ill
If you only have mild symptoms that are above the neck (e.g. runny nose) but you generally feel energetic, you might still be able to perform an easy workout at home. However, if you are experiencing more severe symptoms you should focus on letting your body fight the infection instead of placing more stress on it. Proceeding with training when you have a fever, bad cough, fatigue and generally feel unwell will only make the symptoms worse. Your body will benefit more if you let it fight the infection and return to training when you are recovered.
6. You’ve got a strained/sprained muscle
It is easy to ignore a mild injury and continue with your exercise routine. However, if your body is signalling that something is wrong, taking a day off will be important to prevent worsening of the injury. Furthermore, if you try training with an injury your technique might not be on point which might lead to potential new injuries.
7. You’d rather perform a different physical activity that day
Sometimes you just want to go for a long hike, swim, do a yoga class or cycle for hours because it’s a beautiful day. Maybe you need to do some housework or are actually moving house, which might turn out to be a workout in itself. It is absolutely fine to sometimes do a different physical activity instead of a planned workout and get back to your routine the next day.
When it comes to exercise, it is very important to listen to your body. There are certainly a few circumstances when skipping your session is the best thing to do. Not only will it not negatively affect your overall progress, but it will also give your body time off that it needs.