On this page 4 sections
Quick answer
- Rest is when your body adapts and gets stronger.
- Active rest days keep you moving gently.
- Ongoing exhaustion or missed periods need checking.
Your body adapts to exercise when it recovers, not only while you work. Sports scientists describe the balance between stress and recovery as essential for progress. So a rest day is part of the plan, and you can take one without a crumb of guilt.
Active rest ideas
- A gentle walk outside
- Stretching or restorative yoga
- A slow swim
- A warm bath and an early night
The NHS also says that even if you hit your weekly activity goal, long stretches of sitting or lying still carry their own risks. So on rest days, breaking up sitting with a little gentle movement is a bonus.
Signs you may need more rest
- Feeling tired all the time
- Workouts feel harder than usual for weeks
- Poor sleep or lots of aches that will not settle
- Getting ill more often
- Changes to your periods
Doing too much exercise is one of the causes of missed periods that the NHS lists. If this sounds like you, rest is a good first step, and a GP can help you work out the rest.
MythIf you take a rest day you lose your progress.
Planned rest helps you recover and come back stronger. Not recovering enough can lead to worse performance, injury or illness.
Sources
Written by the Splash teamSources checked
This is general information, not medical advice. Splash can’t diagnose. If you’re worried, talk to a GP, pharmacist or sexual health clinic. In an emergency call 999 (UK) or 911 (US). How we write and check articles.