When it comes to taking care of your body, there is no question about it: The need to rest your body is one of the most demanding ones that all of us can have. The importance of rest simply cannot be overstated.
Why is rest so important?
Resting your body is so important because our bodies are like machines in at least one way: They need time to heal. Simply put, when your body is resting – or sleeping – it allows your body’s natural healing mechanisms to recover.
From a physical perspective, getting adequate rest means that your body has a chance to heal minor injuries before they become more severe. Remember, when you work out, your body adds muscle mass and repairs injuries when it rests and recovers, not when you are actually working out. As such, failure to rest can prevent muscle gain. Studies have found that rest days are necessary in order to prevent injuries.
From a mental and cognitive perspective, unplugging and relaxing – even for just a few minutes – can be like your body hitting the pause button. Doing so can allow your body to unplug and take a vitally needed time-out. This can provide you with a fresh perspective, give your brain a break, and ensure that you maintain productivity levels. Rest is absolutely vital to preventing burn-out, something which can damage our long-term career options and prevent us from succeeding in life.
Rest and injuries
The expression, “No pain, no gain” is a wildly inaccurate one. Rest is a key component to any injury recovery.
Simply put, when you have an injured muscle, working your way through the pain by continuing regularly scheduled activity will only lead to further injuries, as your body is already weakened and your technique may be altered, potentially exacerbating your injuries and causing more serious ones. Furthermore, resting is the best way to heal an injured muscle, as it gives your body’s natural recovery methods the chance to recover and heal. When injured, you should always seek the advice of medical professionals, and you should absolutely rest as dictated by their instructions.
Rest is an important component of keeping your body well, healthy, and functioning at its high capabilities. It should be part of an overall effort to maintain your wellness, which should also include appropriate nutrition and visiting specialists that can help you care for your body and recover from injuries. Book any of our wellness services with the best in the Bay Area!