Juggling a busy career and healthy family is already tough enough before even adding fitness into the mix! Keeping a steady fitness routine is essential, not just for physical health, but also mental well-being. Tons of women have claimed that by adding fitness into their routine, they’re much happier in the long run. 

Once you find the time to get your daily dose of exercise, it can almost feel wrong not to go to the gym or to that hot yoga class. But it’s important to realize that you’re not doing your body any favors when you fail to give it the rest it needs. Taking a rest day once or twice a week is not just a good idea, but essential. 

The Importance of Rest

Giving the body a break from physical exertion is essentially the same as pushing the reset button. By resetting, you’re giving the body time to recover, and therefore allowing it to grow and prosper. Rest has been proven to help boost fitness performance, reduce injury risk, and even support healthy sleep patterns.

Here’s a brief rundown of the science behind building muscle through rest from Healthline: “your muscles store carbohydrates in the form of glycogen. During exercise, your body breaks down glycogen to fuel your workout. Rest gives your body time to replenish these energy stores before your next workout.”

How to Make the Most of a Rest Day

This is actually great news for all you hard-working women out there. Going to the gym regularly is the perfect excuse to take the day off and get some rest! There’s no doubt about the fact that rest days are essential for exercise, so follow these tips for making the most out of your rest days.

Sign Up For a Yoga Class

Although yoga can be physically challenging, taking a yoga class is a fantastic way to reset. If you’re one of those people that can’t just do nothing physical during your rest day, yoga is the solution. Yoga improves mental awareness, boosts mindfulness, and enhances flexibility. On top of that, it’s an amazing way to relax and create a sense of calm. 

If yoga is already your go-to activity for staying fit, it’s still a good idea to take a break every once in a while. This is especially true if you attend hot yoga classes; giving your body a break from the excessive sweating that is common in hot yoga is a must. Some yogis are the fittest people in the world, but this doesn’t mean that they don’t take a break every now and again. 

Book a Massage

Aside from taking up yoga, scheduling massage on a rest day is the ultimate way to make the most of your rest day. Some people even believe that sports massages and fitness go hand in hand. Whether this is true or not, it can’t hurt to schedule a massage every once in a while on your day off from the gym. 

This might be hard in your area, but if you can, try to find a spa that incorporates CBD oil into its massage menu. CBD oil massages are all the rage right now, and there’s a reason for this. If you’re not familiar with CBD oil, research the subject to see if it’s right for you. In short, CBD is highly anti-inflammatory, working to alleviate aches and pains all throughout the body. 

Plus, there’s no risk of CBD oil getting you high. CBD has no psychoactive effects, it is strictly used to benefit health and well-being. CBD has been around for a while and has been legal for use in the UK since November 1, 2018 as long as it has less than 0.2% THC content.

Be Social

It’s fairly obvious that having a social life is excellent for mental well-being. But did you know that staying social has been linked to improved physical health?

We’re not talking about being social by binge drinking at the new bar down the street every night with your friends. Instead, try to be social in ways that can benefit your health. Gather a group together for weekend hikes or schedule regular lunch dates with your siblings. 

Some research is even suggesting that it reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer’s Association says that staying mentally and physically social “is associated with reduced rates of disability and mortality, and may also reduce the risk for depression. Remaining socially active may support brain health and possibly delay the onset of dementia.”

Try Something New

Trying something new is a great way to make the most of any day, especially one that is centered around the idea of rest. So many people associate rest with laying on the couch in sweatpants all day, flipping between Netflix and Hulu. We won’t say that this is a complete waste of time since catching up on the latest GoT episodes has to happen at some point, but there are better ways to fill your time. Like trying something new!

Focus on a Hobby

On the flip side of trying something new, there’s doing something you love. Instead of engaging in a new activity, fill your time with an activity that you already know you enjoy. Strap on your hiking books, whip out your crafting supplies, or visit a local art gallery. Just try to avoid anything that would exert the body too much and remember that this is a day of rest.