WHY YOU NEED TRAINING BREAKS

 

There are times when you absolutely are unable to train e.g after an injury, when you're on a long haul trip or when the environment is just not conducive for training. Contrary to common knowledge, these breaks are actually beneficial to your long term fitness, even though it may not feel as such when you return to the gym.

 

 

In general. After 8-10 weeks of continued training, you should give yourself a whole week off to fully recuperate.

 

Training breaks are important for the following reasons:

 

1. Physically, this will help the body heal any minor strains, sprains, tears, and joint pain you may have or are on the road to having. Some people may fear they will "de-condition" if they take a week off. Trust me you will not. It takes around 3-4 weeks of total inactivity for your muscles to start atrophying, or breaking down muscle tissue. In fact, I guarantee that you will come back stronger and more refreshed than ever.

 

 

2. Now that we understand the physical benefits of taking a week off, there also is the recovery of the nervous system. Again, after a good 8-10 weeks of hard training, and hours on the cardio, your nervous system also takes a beating. Many times over training is do to a lack of recuperation of the nervous system. You may find yourself tired, weak, irritable, getting sick easily, and even losing your motivation to exercise. These are all signs of a much-needed break to avoid burnout. This will lead to better more focused workouts, leading to greater results.

 

3. You get to spend more time with family. In these busy days, it's easy to neglect to spend time with your family and others who are close to you. This creates an emotional deficit over the long run which can be remedied by taking a few days off your evening training schedule to spend quality time with the family and friends.

 

 

However, its important to eat clean and healthy during your fitness break, as the fact that you're taking a break from training does not imply your taking a break from nutrition. Clean eating helps fuel your muscles, aiding muscle recovery and general well being.