Rest Day

BY: Gurtej (Gary) Singh8:00AM Technology and Assessment

In Health and Exercise Science

In the realm of exercise, if refers to taking a

day off from doing any strenuous activity

Rest Day

Definition: bodily or mental exertion,

especially for the sake of training or improvement of health

ver-exercising

Compulsive exercise- feels guilt or anxiety if

he/she does not work out. Plans life around exercising

Muscle dysmorphia- men (and occasionally women) have an excessive preoccupation with their muscle size

Excessive concerns about appearing physically weak or underdeveloped

Majority of these people are already very muscular

ver-exercising Disorders

Myth: Will cause decline in performance if

skipped Fact: Takes about two weeks of non-activity for

performance to decline

Myth: One can gain an advantage working out everyday

Fact: One can work himself/herself into a disadvantage

Why Not Take A Rest Day?

Rhabdomyolysis- breakdown of muscle tissue

that leads to the release of muscle fiber contents into the blood.

These substances are harmful to the kidney and often cause kidney damage.

Over-exercising Leads To…

Muscles need time to recover

Exercise causes micro-tears in muscle tissue. These “injured” muscles need time to heal themselves.

Why Take A Rest Day?

Muscles deteriorating- exercising everyday will

most likely cause one to breakdown the protein in their own muscle tissue to use as a source of energy

Why Take A Rest Day?

Physical capabilities plateau- over-exerciser

will eventually stagnate, not being able to increase workload to gain muscular strength/endurance.

Without rest, muscles do not have time to adapt to imposed demands.

Why Take A Rest Day?

Soreness Relief- will experience soreness for a

prolonged period of time due to not letting tears in his/her muscle heal.

Why Take A Rest Day?

Increasedenergy- glycogen stores will most

likely be depleted, causing fatigue Will have more fat to burn as energy. Fat

provides the longest duration of fuel. Will have more stored energy during a workout

after receiving adequate rest

Why Take A Rest Day?

Boost in Immune System- moderate exercise

boosts one’s immune system, but high-intensity exercise temporarily decreases immune system function

When not giving the body time to rest, the decrease in immune function starts to go from temporary to chronic.

Why Take A Rest Day?

Injury prevention- training everyday can cause

an overuse injury in muscles, bones, ligaments, and/or tendons.

Small nagging strains/sprains will not be able to heal themselves

Rest is the most important thing for any injury

Why Take A Rest Day?

Mental Health- rest day will allow one to gain

their focus back on their ultimate goal for why he/she is exercising.

Renewed motivation May become too mentally fatigued to do any

other daily life tasks

Why Take A Rest Day?

Leisure Time- taking a day off can allow one

the time to do other hobbies Spending time with family/friends Schoolwork/studying Watching television/using computer/Video games

Why Take A Rest Day?

Hypertension- elevated resting blood pressure

(>140 systolic,>90 diastolic) Tachycardia- elevated resting heart rate (>100

beats per minute)

Why Take A Rest Day?

✚Hematological alterations✚- determined

through a blood test Changes in iron status, protein status, electrolyte

balance, phosphorus calcium balance, elevated blood urea nitrogen, elevated uric acid, and a skewed lipoprotein balance

Why Take A Rest Day?

Exercising with low intensity after a bout of

vigorous exercise Maintains blood flow in muscles to help recover

quicker Done immediately after exercise: helps facilitate

lactate and metabolic waste removal

★Active Recovery★

Aquatic workout (swimming, treading water,

etc) Training at 30% RM (Rep Max) Rock climbing, golf, etc.

✪Active Recovery Modalities✪

Try to not workout the same muscle two days

in a row Be aware that when one works out his/her pec

major, he/she is also working out triceps and shoulders.

Be aware that when one works out his/her back, he/she is also working out biceps.

Planning Rest Day

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/over-

exercise http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/protein-rebuild

-muscle-tears-6731.html

http://www.shapefit.com/overtraining-exercising-too-much.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/513887-do-i-need-a-break-day-when-exercising/

References