Do you ever have your parents telling you to go and do something for your sport or just in general, but you think you need a rest day? Well you are right, we all need rest days especially when you are an athlete. The rest days are very important because they help your body recover from injuries, and can also help prevent injuries. Athletes should take regular rest days for their body.

Some athletes think not having a rest day will make them a better athlete but that is actually not the case. You are injuring and hurting your body not taking that rest day which in return will make you a worse athlete. 

Most athletes struggle with sore muscles every day and all day athletes say. There’s one general thing that all athletes need, “if you’re participating in sports, you’re breaking down your body. (uchealth today) Exercise – especially intense exercise – creates tiny tears in the muscles. Over time, as muscles heal, they eventually grow bigger and stronger. This happens during rest and recovery, not during the exercise session.”

There are different kinds of recovery. Any athlete should take a rest day every 7-10 days. There are intermediate and short term recovery. “Athletes who are sleep deprived are at risk of losing aerobic endurance and may experience subtle changes in hormone levels, which can lead to higher levels of a stress hormone; as well as a decrease in human growth hormone, which is active during tissue repair. If you are a high level athlete or have a family member that is involved in a sport that requires a higher level of fitness.” (Michigan State University Extension Recommends)

A training log can assist you in keeping track of how the body feels after an exercise session – this will help in determining recovery needs and whether or not the training program should be modified.