Projo Fitness Blog

Maybe it's because my schedule has been so upside-down lately -- working at nights -- but I've been thinking a lot about the importance of rest.

Not just sleep, as Tom Meade wrote about last week, but taking a break from exercise so that your muscles can repair themselves.

As Helium.com notes, "when you exercise, you incur very small fissures or tears in the muscle. In essence, you damage (slightly) the muscles. When you take the next day or two off from working that particular muscle group, you allow your muscles to heal and thus increase in size and power. If you do not allow time for this healing to occur, your muscles may remain in a constant state of damage."

So, what should you do? Another site, Xomba.com, gives the following "rest recipe" to nourish your body:

1. "Rest between sets - Allow yourself time between repetitions to restore some strength, catch your breath, or replace some lost fluids." In other words, it's OK to take your time with your workout.

2. Exercise on alternating days - "Fitness professionals recommend three to four days of 45- to 60-minute exercise per week," the site notes

3. Active rest -- Try yoga on off days, or a leisurely walk. "Light activity will still stimulate blood flow and increase your heart rate," Xomba.com says.

4. Sleep -- As we've said before, eight hours of rest each night is imperative, both to weight loss and overall health.

5. Replace -- Replace your fluids with water. Eat a proper diet including lean proteins. "Both hydration and proper diet help repair those microscopic muscle tears in addition to giving you the energy you need to keep up with daily activities," the site notes.

 Tags  rest sleep yoga

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