If your New Year’s resolution to hit the gym more has turned into a full-blown exercise addiction, then you’ll be well aware of the power of a rest day. Your muscles need time to repair themselves, your limbs to stop aching, and as such, your allocated day not pumping iron is actually just as important as the days spent sweaty and grunting. With this in mind, here are 4 IDEAL ways to have an effective rest day.
SLEEP LONG, SLEEP HARD
You might not be the type to lay around all morning, but on your rest days, you should try and get a little more sleep than normal. This is because, quite simply, sleep is the most integral part of any rest program. Quality shut-eye, the type that leaves you feeling ready to take on the world the second you wake up, helps to recuperate your muscles, and regenerate strength and build bulk.
EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN INSTEAD
We spend hours at the gym or running and hiking to train our body and enhance endurance. But what about our brain? Make the most out of your rest day by giving your mind the movement it deserves.
Research has claimed that playing games on the web also helps improve our memory. This is especially true for those with emerging memory problems associated with the onset of Alzeihmers. While we’re not saying that the next time you can’t forget where you put your car keys, you should pick up your ps4 controller, a little gaming can help keep the brain a touch sharper and memory clearer, and that’s no bad thing, certainly.
DRINK A LOT OF WATER
Well, you don’t have to tell us twice. Indeed, rest days should not be treated as a day off being healthy, rather a day of being healthy, which means you should remain hydrated throughout them. By doing so, you’ll find yourself able to beat fatigue far easier, and your cognitive function will improve, too. Staying sufficiently refreshed helps prevent cramp in tired limbs and lubricates your joints.
DON’T CONFUSE YOUR REST DAY FOR A CHEAT DAY
Cheat days and rest days, in gym bunny parlance, are not the same thing. The former are days when you let it all hang out, with fitness at the back of the mind and fun and indulgence at the forefront. Rest days should not be confused with them.
Rest days are not days designed for you to do damage to your diet, instead, they’re a time to use wisely in a bid to recuperate your body and ready it for future challenges. This means that you should refrain from gorging on fatty foods and alcohol, and should, instead, ensure that your plate is filled with macronutrients. In order to recover muscle tissue, it is advisable to eat foods that are rich in antioxidants, micronutrients, and vitamins.
