Taking A Rest Day

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By: Renee Haire, LMT

Why a Rest Day is Necessary  

You push your body every day to stay active. 45 minutes of strengthening and cardio 3 days a week, spin class twice a week, alternating Pilates and HIIT training in the evenings. You take a multivitamin every morning, drink a gallon of water and limit your sugar intake daily. So why is your body sore? Why do you feel weak? You have always heard the phrase “no pain, no gain.” You have the pain. Where is the gain? 

Rest Day

Muscles Get Cranky

I often compare muscles to toddlers. They can go and go and seem like they have non-stop energy. However, have you seen a toddler when they do not get to rest or nap? It is not pretty. They get cranky. They throw fits. They no longer do what they should and can even end up injuring themselves and others during tantrums. Your day must stop because your toddler is tired, stressed out and unable to function.  

But what happens if you plan a busy morning for your toddler to expel their energy but then give them the chance to nap and revitalize? When they wake up, all is right in the world, and you can continue with your day. Similarly, by planning ways to help your muscles rest, you can proactively take care of your body, so it does not need throw a tantrum.  

Understanding Post-Workout Pain and Soreness 

When working out, specifically weightlifting or body weight exercises, small micro-tears are created in the muscle fibers. As a result, most people feel a dull ache, soreness, and/or sickly sensation in their muscles following a new exercise routine or restarting an old one. This is referred to as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Pushing through and continuing to exercise instead of giving your body adequate rest can breakdown muscle fibers causing further injury such as tearing. 

Sore muscle in shoulder

In extreme cases, muscle strain called Rhabdomyolysis (Rhabdo) may occur. This is more common in someone who is untrained, but it can happen in elite athletes and can be more dangerous when there is more muscle mass to break down. Rhabdo results from the death of muscle fibers and release of their contents into the bloodstream. This can lead to serious complications such as renal (kidney) failure. 

A rest day allows your body to consolidate the arduous work you have been doing. Muscles recover, adapt, and become stronger, and your nervous system has a chance to regenerate. 

Watch this VIDEO on MUSCLE STRAINS.

What Can I Do On a Rest Day? 

Woman walking on Rest Day
General exercise guidelines recommend at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily. So, how do you have a rest day while still getting the recommended amount of exercise? The trick is to find an activity that’s low-intensity and keeps your heart rate at 30-60% of your maximum heart rate. If you can hold a steady conversation while doing the activity, it is probably the right intensity. Typical activities include 

• walking
• swimming
• cycling
• jogging
• yoga
• active stretching

JOI and JOI Rehab

JOI Physicians continue to offer online new patient appointments. This is another option to make it more convenient to make new patient appointments with less phone hold times. Follow the link below to select your JOI MD and schedule online.

You can still call 904-JOI-2000 to make new patient JOI Physician Appointments if that is your preference.

To make appointments with JOI Rehab, please call 904-858-7045.

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