Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Rest Up!

When you're starting a new workout program — especially if you haven't been exercising in a while or you are stepping up the intensity of your existing one — you are probably really excited to begin! You'll probably experience the boost in energy that exercising can give you, or you'll notice your strength increasing and your muscles becoming more defined. That will help you keep up with your new program longer — and that's great! But don't forget to rest your muscles between workouts! It's so important that I even build in Rest Days into my Fitness Plan. You may feel as though a day off from working out is a day wasted, but it's actually a very important part of your fitness routine!

When it comes to strength training, for example, experts suggest working out two or three days each week, with a full day of rest between workouts to let your body recharge. Strength training actually works by creating small tears in muscle fibers, which then grow as the body repairs them. So time off is crucial to allow these repairs to be made!

Keep your program balanced, take the time you need to recover, and gradually work your way up to longer, tougher workouts. You can do it!

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