I’m just going to say it: I absolutely hate rest days. Yes, hate. I know hate is a very strong word, but I hate rest days.

I may be a CPT, but even if I wasn’t, it’s common sense that you need to take rest days. We very well know we can’t go, go, go all of the time, especially when it comes to breaking down and tearing our muscles — yet we feel so darn guilty every time we take a rest day even though we know they’re crucial to any good training plan.

Here are some signs your body needs rest from exercise — and yes, that includes signs you need a rest day from the gym. (Sorry y’all, your flirtatious glances at your gym crush will have to wait a day.)

The importance of rest days

Okay, first of all, why are rest days so important anyway? When we rest, we give our bodies time to restore our muscles. This gives them time to rebuild and grow so they can come back better, bigger, and stronger. 

“If you expect to gain benefits such as improved strength or muscle growth from your workouts, you need to allow time for your body to recover and adapt to the stimulus you have placed on it,” touts Rachel MacPherson, CPT with over a decade of experience.

“If you work out again too soon after your previous session, your tissues will not have enough time to repair, which will leave you sore and will make your next session relatively pointless,” she adds. “In fact, you will begin to see negative returns on your workouts, with performance declining.”

Additionally, if you work out without enough rest or without taking a planned deload in the case of weight lifting, you run the risk of overtraining, says MacPherson.

“Overtraining is marked with feeling more fatigued than usual, performance decline, loss of motivation, sleep disturbance, and sometimes mood or hormonal changes,” she explains. “Women can [even] experience something called RED-S which is when the menstrual cycle becomes dysregulated and this can lead to all sorts of physical and hormonal issues including fertility loss.”

Rest days are also vital for maintaining your love of exercise. “Exercise should be enjoyable, but if you push yourself past your limits and your body becomes beat up and tired, you will likely begin to resent it and lose motivation,” notes MacPherson.

Signs you need a rest day

1. Emotional changes

When you feel physically burnt out, hormones like serotonin may decrease while cortisol levels may increase, which may cause a hormone imbalance. This can cause emotional changes like crankiness, irritability, and mood swings. Basically, emotional changes are one of those sneaky signs your body needs rest from exercise.

2. Fatigue

Pay attention to any extreme exhaustion or fits of fatigue. If you feel extra spent, this could be one of those signs you need a rest day from the gym. However, take notice of your monthly cycles. Feeling fatigued and tired may also mean you have passed ovulation and are in the luteal phase of your cycle, which may require a workout change-up.

3. Illness and injury

Other more obvious signs you need a rest day are illness and injury. Mary Sabat, CPT, RD, founder of Body Designs by Mary, says if you find yourself with increased susceptibility to illness or infection, this may be a sign  that your immune system is compromised due to overtraining. 

The same holds true if you notice yourself feeling like you’re more prone to injuries. These are all signs you need a rest day from the gym.

4. Painful or super sore muscles

Muscle soreness is common after exercise or a new workout. It’s completely normal, which means muscle soreness isn’t always one of those signs your body needs rest from exercise.

However, if you’re achy and sore with pain that’s not improving even after taking it easy with a lighter workout or an actual rest day, this could be an indicator of overtraining. Translation: This could be one of those signs you need a rest day from the gym.

5. Sleep issues or changes in sleep patterns

Higher levels of adrenaline and cortisol from too many gym days and not enough rest days can make it hard to get quality sleep — so if you notice any sleep issues or changes in your sleep patterns, this could be one of those signs you need a rest day. (More sleep, please). Some key signs to look for include finding yourself heading to bed at an earlier hour or needing naps during the day.

6. Your workouts feel ridiculously difficult

Workouts should feel challenging and somewhat difficult. Hey, if workouts aren’t hard, then how the heck are you supposed to improve? However, if exercises you can usually accomplish with ease start feeling excessively tough, this may be one of those signs you need a rest day.

Again, you also may be in the second half of your monthly cycle, so check in with your cycle and see where you’re at with any adjustments if needed. If you stop seeing any progress or have hit a plateau, this may also be one of those signs you need a rest day from the gym.

Signs your body needs rest from exercise

Meeting all of your fitness, gym, and physical goals is challenging all on its own — but by denying your adequate time for recovery and rest, you make reaching those goals even harder.

The next time you experience one of these signs you need a rest day, listen to your body and honor it by actually giving it the rest it needs. Whether those are signs your body needs rest from exercise or signs you need a rest day from the gym, listening to your body is the best way to avoid injury, build strength, maintain energy, and reach your gym goals.

Hey, I get it. It’s way easier said than done (hello, pot, kettle) — but think of all your body does for you on a daily basis just to keep you alive. Then, top it off with everything else you do both inside and outside of the gym. It’s no wonder your body is sending you signs you need to take a rest day.

Rest days may seem like a restriction, but really, I’ve come to view them as a form of self-care and love. (Still working on that perspective, but hey, it is a start!)