Rest days are arguably the most important day of the week yet also the day that I dread and hate the most. In my perfect world, I would want to run every day without ever getting injured and without taking a break. I hate the feeling of sitting around with the extra time that I would have spent running and I am sure that some of you feel the same!

Why do we need rest days?

1. Joint health – running puts a lot of pressure and impact on joints.
2. Muscle fibers – as running breaks down muscle fibers, our bodies need the rest time to improve and strengthen.
3. Mentally – sometimes we get caught up in our training and may just need a day off to take a step back.
4. Rest days result in performance improvement!

What do I do with my extra time?

1. Stretch and yoga are good exercises to do on rest days.
2. For stretching, I prefer to use my +addaday massage roller (pictured below). My local Fleet Feet store recommended the +addaday product and it has been one of my favorite purchases – I use it almost every day but especially on rest days!
3. Meal prepping is another fun activity for a rest day! Mine usually fall on Sunday so I am able to plan and cook my meals for the week.

What are some of your rest day routines?