Whether you love or hate the idea of taking a day off from working out, it’s not all bad. There are things you can do with your extra time and energy to make it worthwhile. Here’s how making good use of a rest day can actually help your fitness training and push you closer to your goals.

STRETCH

Even though you might take a day off of training every now and then, you still do a lot of bending, sitting and standing throughout the day. If you’re taking a rest day because you want to give your muscles a chance to heal, you could actually help them along by taking a few minutes in the morning to stretch them out. It helps prevent injury and helps your body adjust to your growing and changing muscles as you work out. Don’t forget to stretch, whether you’re taking a day off or not.

COOK SOME GOOD FOOD

On days you take a break from the gym or engage in a shorter or less intense workout than usual, it might be a good idea to use the extra time and/or energy for food prep. Cook yourself a good, healthy meal or two. Even better, find some multi-serving recipes you can make to last you a few meals over the next few days. Healthy eating, whether you’re taking a day off or not, helps you maintain your training progress and also prepares you for the training days soon to come.

GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

If you’re going to take a full day off of training, you might as well take advantage of the extra time … to sleep. Maybe you’re a morning workout guy and you usually somehow manage to force yourself out of bed and to the gym first thing. Why not take a day off and sleep in? Or at least use the extra time to enjoy a slower morning. The same goes for working out later in the day. If you can afford to go to bed at a decent time, do it. Just take it easy. You’ll wake up feeling well-rested and refreshed tomorrow, which means you’re more likely to have a great workout when you get back to it.

Enjoy your day off. Stretch. Eat. Sleep. Prepare for the day ahead without putting too much effort into it. Sounds like a day well spent, don’t you think?

Source

http://www.mensfitness.com/training/pro-tips/stretch-or-die