This Is Why Working Out and Resting Are Equally Important
When it comes to getting fit, most people tend to play down the importance of rest when in fact, fitness experts say that rest is just as important for the body as working out. Taking time to rest after a day of work is vital in helping the body recover properly. Otherwise, the body stops progressing, and health deteriorates.
People have the natural tendency to get carried away with hardcore exercise, thinking that working out is the best way to get fit. According to Pete McCall, an ACE-certified personal trainer and host of the All About Fitness podcast, this is one of the major fitness mistakes committed by Americans.
"We have this mentality in America: If a little bit is good, then more is better," he noted. McCall then said people should know that exercise is just a piece of the fitness equation, and that they should not go too hard on days they are supposed to take easy.
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Basically, exercise is nothing without rest. What most people do not know is that they should give their muscles enough time to adapt and recover first before they can ever see the results of an exercise in their bodies. Hence, it is necessary to incorporate active recovery days into one's weekly fitness schedule.
According to McCall, the natural tendency of the body after a hard workout is to initiate an inflammatory response to help it recover. However, this inflammatory response will have a reverse effect if one does too much high-intensity exercise. Instead of helping the body recover, this weakens one's immune system, resulting in more sick days and less gym time.
Gentle yoga, simple core exercises, brisk walk, and a jog are some of the examples of low-downs the body can use to recover from intense exercises. According to McCall, one may want to try to alternate intense workouts with low-downs for every 20 to 40 minutes.
Although one may think that taking it easy means doing nothing, it actually means being active, too, as it allows the blood to keep flowing in the body while getting rid of the metabolic waste that builds up in the tissues after an intense workout.
