Whether you like it or not, working out is great. The rush of adrenaline, the feeling of satisfaction, the gains, and the overall progress can be somewhat addictive when you’ve passed the beginner levels. So, you may not feel particularly giddy about taking a week off the gym. We’re highlighting five reasons why a weeklong gym leave is essential.
Your body needs the break
If you spend more than two hours a day at the gym or engage in any intense physical activity daily, your body will welcome this break. Think of it this way, every day, you’re applying pressure on different muscles with all the squats, pushups, runs, weight lifting, etc. As flexible as these muscles are, they require time to recover and recuperate. Giving yourself a weeklong workout break will help your muscles repair and form better.
Breathe
Asides from working out, what else do you love doing? It could be anything at all as long as it isn’t some type of exercise. This is the time to breathe and reflect on the things you love with the people you love. It doesn’t have to be anything significant. You can stream a series, stay in all day, sleep for as long as you want, go on an adventure, or do whatever you want. This is an excellent mental break, which is just as essential as a physical break.
It checks burnouts and overtraining
With exercise, consistency is excellent. But when the consistency is accompanied by an increase in routines, hours, and weights, the pressure to keep up gets higher. To prevent your mind and body from burning out, you’ll need to take a breather.
It makes the heart grow fonder
Often you start underappreciating certain things when they’re too plentiful. Taking this workout break will really remind you of why you started working out in the first place and keep you and your routines in a healthy relationship.
It’s great for the mind
Exercise has proven to be a great stress reliever. However, some issues need to be dealt with outside the gym, and masking them with continuous training will eventually leave a mental toll. Relax your mind by staying away from the gym for a week to do self-care instead.
Working out is a very satisfying activity, one which has a ton of health benefits. However, everything should be done in moderation, and that includes your time in the gym. Taking a week off working out will keep you healthy, fit, and in a great mental space to resume later.
