Did you know that you don’t actually “get fitter” when exercising? In fact, what you are actually doing is elevating your heart rate and breaking down muscle tissue.
The “fit” part comes in after, when you are resting. This is when your body gets to work on repairing tissue damage and strengthening your muscles. Your body then gets a little bit stronger and fitter than it was before and then you go and do it all again.
The problem with this is that we do not fully recover between these workouts. Some of the fatigue stays with us and accumulates during training. After weeks and weeks of pounding your body, you may find it harder to get fitter because you are experiencing exhaustion.
This is why it is important to take a whole week off once in a while (every 10-12 weeks) in order for your body to fully recover and make better and faster progress after. This allows your nervous system to recover and your body to heal any minor strains or tears you may have.
Worried your fitness levels might decline? Don’t be. It takes around one month of total inactivity for your body to start breaking down muscle tissue. Instead, you will come back refreshed, motivated and stronger than ever.
Worried you will gain fat? If you continue to eat clean, you will not gain any fat. You could maybe even add in an extra cheat meal to really give your metabolism a change.
Give yourself a break and enjoy other activities life has to offer. Your mind and body will thank you for it.