This Is What Happens When You Take A Break From Exercising
Consistent and regular exercise is essential for maintaining your strength and endurance, but sometimes your body just needs a break. As important as it is to work out and stay in shape, you don't want to run the risk of overtraining (via Well+Good). Pushing yourself too hard could lead to burnout or even result in injury. That's why it's crucial to rest and take a break from your usual workout routine every once in a while.
In fact, taking a break from your regular workouts can actually help repair your muscles and even step up your workout game and athletic performance. "Giving your body a rest is essential so that you can exert yourself at a higher level, which you can't actually do if you're just continually going all of the time," Dr. Naomi Arbit, a behavioral scientist and wellness coach, told Well+Good. Taking a week to rest and reset can help your body recover and put you in the right head space.
Taking a break won't make you lose progress
While you may be concerned that taking some time off from your normal fitness routine could cause you to lose some of your strength and endurance, this is highly unlikely (via Self). It would take much longer than a week's rest to undo all of your hard work and progress. "For most people that are exercising regularly and have a moderate to solid conditioning level [you work out four to six times a week], a week off is an opportunity to take a break and refresh the mind and body," according to Cris Dobrosielski, a consultant and spokesperson for American Council on Exercise and founder of Monumental Results Inc.
In fact, you would only start to see a decline in your fitness level after three weeks of inactivity, in which case your aerobic power would go down by 5% to 10% (via Verywell Fit). However, you don't need to be completely idle and inactive during your workout break. You can engage and participate in other leisurely activities, like yoga, long walks, yard work, or Pilates classes.