Rest is often a highly underestimated aspect of a fitness regimen and it is essential for promoting performance, preventing injury and aiding recovery.
Whether it’s regular gym workouts or training for a marathon, all levels of fitness can benefit from a well-planned rest program and at least one-day off from the training schedule each week.
But what benefits can rest offer and what can individuals do to ensure that they make the most out of each rest period?
- Encourages muscles to recover and strengthen
Any form of exercise has the ability to create microscopic tears in muscle fibres.
To counteract this, the body rebuilds the muscles stronger.
However, this only happens in rest periods and it’s therefore important to ensure your body has enough rest to allow muscles to repair and strengthen.
- Prevents injury
It might not be rocket science, but it is important to remember that rest is integral to injury prevention.
Not resting adequately can lead to minor injuries becoming major ones. Overdoing it can lead to muscles and joints suffering from overuse, resulting in injury.
- Improves performance
Adequate rest allows the body to conserve and restore energy levels.
Enhanced energy levels contribute to a greater quality in each training session, helping to aid performance levels.
- Maintains focus
Although the mental health benefits of exercise are well documented and accepted, taking a planned day or two out can assist mental clarity.
The break from training helps your brain to relax and encourages focus and energy.
- Aid a good night’s sleep
When you exercise, especially when you are running, your body doesn’t know why.
This can elevate levels of the stress hormone cortisol, making you feel irritable and restless.
Ensuring that you rest will help to stabilise both heart rate and alertness and help you to sleep soundly.
- Allows the immune system to work effectively
When our body’s experience intense activity and training, our immune systems are working on overdrive to repair muscles and joints.
Without proper periods of rest, the immune system is unable to repair properly, and this can result in both inflammation and injury.
How to make the most out of your rest days
- Refuel
Give your nutrition some thought, ensure meals and snacks are planned and refuel your body with nourishing meals that will allow your body to perform efficiently.
- Chill Out
Naturally active individuals can find the concept of inactivity terrifying!
Take the opportunity to let the body relax and recuperate effectively by undertaking some relaxing activities.
Yoga can be a good option for those who still want to move as it can help refine useful relaxation techniques.
- Try a supplement
Nothing replaces a good well-balanced diet, but sometimes the body needs a little help.
Collagen supplements are increasing in popularity and Google searches for collagen were up by 200% as consumers are turning to collagen formulations to support their bodies.
Best-selling collagen brand LQ Collagen have launched two new high-strength collagen ranges in delicious new flavours to the market that are designed to support an active lifestyle.
LQ Marine Collagen Peptides 300g Powders £32 (20 x 15g servings per tub)
Available in new Coconut & Lime, Mango & Passion Fruit and Vanilla flavours these new powders are the best on the market in terms of efficacy and quality.
The new powders contain 10,000 mg of hydrolysed marine collagen per daily serving.
Great tasting, natural flavours are easy to mix with water or a perfect boost to your morning smoothie. Sweetened with stevia, the powders offer an easy dissolvable, low calorie option for those wanting to add collagen to their daily routine.
LQ collagen powders (bovine) 300g £25 (20 x 15g servings per tub)
Available in new Unflavoured (no Stevia), Chocolate and Vanilla flavours each tub contains 10,000mg of collagen per daily serving.
Great tasting, with natural flavours they are easy to mix in drinks, water or as part of a morning smoothie.
Sweetened with stevia (apart from unflavoured), the powders offer an easy, dissolvable, option for those wanting to add collagen to their daily nutrition.