Is a rest day really beneficial or does it prevent the body from becoming stronger?

If you have a strict and consistent workout routine, this blog will explore both the pros and cons of having a rest day to see if it is as important as you think.

Image: Wix, 2023

What is a "Rest Day"?

Rest day: "A day set aside for rest ... which one departs from a normal or usual routine" - Merriam - Webster, 2023

Over the years there have been many articles going around debating whether taking a rest day is actually beneficial or not for those with a consistent workout routine.

From my understanding and personal experience, I believe it all depends on yourself, your body, and how you feel.

Pros of a rest day - three of the most common arguments

1. Rest days help avoid muscle injury, giving them a chance to recover

This argument is usually the first one you will see if you search 'why are rest days important'?

It has been repeated various times in many different health articles and by certain health and fitness professionals.

One such example by lifestyle journalist Kirsten Nunez, said "Rest is necessary for avoiding exercise-induced fatigue."

"Taking regular breaks helps your body to recover and repair. It's a critical part of progress, regardless of your fitness level or sport," said Nunez.

To further back up her argument, her article was medically reviewed by nationally certified personal trainer, Daniel Bubnis.

 2. Rest days promote muscle growth...

Another very common argument for why rest days are important is that overworking your muscles may prevent them from becoming stronger.

Most people understand what it's like to spend all day on your feet and experiencing the soreness that comes with it.

Just like how we can tire our feet by being on them all day, we can overwork our other muscles as well if we are not careful.

According to Team Veloforte, an all-natural nutrition company, on rest days "your muscles grow stronger so they're able to perform the same workout with less effort next time".

"It’s not a case of working out more to see more benefits though. Muscles need time and rest to reboot, rebuild and strengthen." - Team Veloforte, 2019

3. Rest days improve performance

Another common argument you may hear is that rest days aid in workout performance.

This argument ties into both of the previous points I have mentioned on muscle growth.

For the most part, this pro of a rest day suggests giving your body time to recover may help you to workout more frequently for longer periods of time.

Heather Fell, Olympic silver medalist turned triathlete said on the Global Triathlon Network, having a day of rest will help "optimize... recovery entirely so that you're ready to nail training the day after".

"It's in that recovery time that they'll repair, rebuild and become actually to a higher level or stronger level than we were before the training." - Heather Fell, Triathlete, 2020, Global Triathlon Network

Image: Wix, 2023

Cons of a rest day?

If you look around on google or youtube you will notice there are more pros than cons of a rest day.

However, according to Dr. Jim Stoppani who holds a PHD in exercise physiology, he believes rest days should be eliminated for three reasons.

"Now, there's no reason to worry about overtraining, because the human body is designed to work every day without rest. With the right full-body training program, you can safely work your entire body—every day—without injury." - Jim Stoppani, 2019

1. "Better fat burning"

Stoppani said working out everyday keeps our "metabolic genes" activated which leads to our bodies "burning more fat every single day".

"It's obvious the more work you do, the more calories you burn, and the more fat you lose," he said.

2. "Better muscles growth and strength"

His second argument acts as a rebuttal against how 'rest days promote muscle growth', a pro I mentioned earlier.

Stoppani said research shows "with full body training and training each muscle group each and every day, muscle growth and strength may be improved".

Working out also activates our muscle growth genes, said Stoppani.

"Activating those genes each and every day keeps those processes of muscle protein synthesis turned on that can lead to greater gains in exercise and muscles strength."

3. "Better overall health"

Most people want a better overall health and are looking for ways to improve their current health.

According to Stoppani, daily exercise may help "promote longevity while lowering the risk of diseases such as depression, heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes", which is activated through our metabolic genes.

A neutral argument about rest days:

"Under most circumstances your body recovers better when it's active than if you're just sitting around laying in bed." - Sal Di Stefano, Personal fitness trainer, 2020.

According to personal fitness trainer Sal Di Stefano, it is "not necessary" to take one rest day a week, however "it is necessary to modify your intensity and activity".

Conclusion

While there are more pros than cons on why we should take a rest day, we need to remember every body is different.

What I have learnt from my research is that muscle growth and performance also depend on what you choose to do on your rest day.

For example, a common suggestion is doing some light stretches or go for a walk on a rest day to still keep active.

Just keep in mind the next time you workout, the most important thing is to not overwork your body!