Taking a Break from Working Out

Ann has been working out very hard for more than 4 months, without any break. She does cardio on three days and weight training on other three. She also does yoga or Pilates once a week. All these days, she enjoyed her routine, however for the last few days she has been feeling very tired and her body is sore all the time. She says she can't think of taking a break for working out, as she will miss her workout, which she does not like.

John is a veteran exerciser. He never misses his workout, even when he is traveling, as he always carries his shoes and some basic equipment with himself. However, one day he woke up totally exhausted. He had a very stressful week and he just could not push himself physically out of the bed. His brain was telling him to wake up and hit the gym, but his body was telling him otherwise. John never thought of taking a break from exercise, as he thought giving his exercise regime a break meant ruining his day.

What is it that you find in common with these stories and yourself? I am sure you do identify with either of the stories. Well, you are not the only one who frets at the idea of skipping a workout. There are many out there. The reasons for not taking a break are numerous. Some of them are:

• They may gain weight if they skip their workout.
• Going off track in their workout regime is the other reason people do not want to miss their workout.
• Some people like me feel guilty if they miss their workout.
• There are some people who are scared of failure, hence they believe it is not possible to take a break from exercises.
• People who are on a weight loss program fear not progressing in their workout.
• Some people, (like John in our story above) believe they will ruin their week or day if they do not workout.
• There are people who need to get their dose of feel good hormones.

Now that we have seen the many reasons why people avoid taking a break from their workout, let's see why is important to take a break.

Why Take a Break from Working Out

Skipping a working out is for people who are regular with working out and not for people who keep skipping their workout regime for some trivial reason or the other. It is important to take a break from working out, as exercising builds muscle. When you are working out, there is wear and tear of the body. Hence the muscles need rest to repair itself. After taking some rest, the body is stronger than before and also raring to go. There are three components, which play an important role in muscle building. They are cardiovascular exercises, weight training and the most forgotten is rest.

How to Take a Break from Working Out

Now comes the question when to take a break from working out. Well the answer is whenever your body asks you to. There are times when the body is giving us small cues, which we should understand. Those are the times the body is totally fatigued and cannot go on any further. At all such times, you should listen to your body and simply take a break.

There can be a question as to how long should the break be. Each person has a different endurance capacity. Hence, you will see some workout hard for two days and then take a break on the alternate day. There are others who workout and rest on alternate days. Still others take one break per week. At the same time, there are also people who work out for weeks on end and then take a week off from working out.

Taking a break from working out will fully charge you and you will be raring to go when you hit the gym next. However, it is important to note that when you are taking your break, you eat well. It is necessary as your body needs the nutrients for healing purposes. Take a break guys! Its important!