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?
- Joint health – running puts a lot of pressure and impact on joints.
- Muscle fibers – as running breaks down muscle fibers, our bodies need the rest time to improve and strengthen.
- Mentally – sometimes we get caught up in our training and may just need a day off to take a step back.
- Rest days result in performance improvement!
What do I do with my extra time?
- Stretch and yoga are good exercises to do on rest days.
- 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!
- 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?
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