The Importance of Rest Days Between HIIT Cardio Workouts

The Importance of Rest Days Between HIIT Cardio Workouts

The Importance of Rest Days Between HIIT Cardio Workouts

Rest days are just as important as training days when it comes to exercise, especially if you’re participating in high-intensity interval training, strength training, cardio, or HIIT cardio workouts at Circuit Works LA. If you don’t give your body enough time to rest, you can actually delay your progress in the long run. 

You might also be setting yourself up for an injury that could sideline you from working out in the future. Today we are sharing why rest days are important when it comes to recovery, growth, and getting optimal circuit training results.

What are rest days?

Rest days are a crucial component of any fitness plan. This refers to the days that you use in order to take a break from your regular workout routine. They give your body a chance to repair and recover, helping prevent fatigue and injury. On rest days, you keep your body in motion, but don’t push it to extremes (we’ll go more in-depth on this later when we focus on what to do on a rest day).


How often should you take a rest day?

According to The American Council on Exercise, it’s important to be physically active most days of the week; but it’s equally as important to give yourself and your body a break by making sure to schedule at least one day of complete rest from demanding physical activity every 7 to 10 days. 

Benefits of rest days 

Rest days give your body a chance to rebuild muscle tissue and encourage healing (which is very important in your fitness journey). A rest day also gives your mind a break from intense exercise, which helps prevent burnout. 

You’ll finish the day feeling stronger and more energized, ready for your next workout. As much as we love to see you at Circuit Works LA, we value the importance of rest days just as much. Here are our favorite benefits of taking a rest day: 


Repairs and builds muscles

Rest days don’t just give your body a break — they also allow it to rebuild and repair the muscle fibers that were stressed during your workouts. Your body has an incredible ability to repair muscle tissue when you’re resting. 

This is why it’s so important to take time off between workouts and allow your body to recover fully before training again. If you don’t give your muscles enough time to recover, they won’t grow as fast or be as strong as they could be.


Helps you build long-term habits

If you want to maintain exercise as a regular part of your life, it’s important that you don’t overdo it too soon. By scheduling some recovery time between workouts, you’ll give yourself time to build up healthy habits that last over time. This will also prevent burnout down the road as well as help keep motivation high so you can receive optimal circuit training results.

Reduces risk of injury

Taking rest days between your workouts reduces the risk of injuries. You can easily overtrain if you don’t give yourself enough time to recover. Regardless if your style of workout is HIIT cardio or weight lifting, overtraining can lead to serious injuries that may sideline you for weeks or months. Choosing to rest now is better than being forced to rest for a longer period of time down the road. 

Promotes relaxation

Rest days help improve your overall health and happiness. It’s an opportunity for your body to heal, rebuild and recharge. You can also use this time to relax and unwind from the stresses of your day, in whatever way works best for you (we will be sharing some ideas below). 

Improves performance

Taking rest days allows you to train at higher intensities during your subsequent workouts. It also gives your body time to recover from fatigue and improves its ability to adapt to training stimuli and your overall performance.

What happens if you don’t rest?

Although it may be tempting to participate in high-intensity workouts every day, thinking that will get you closer to your fitness goal, it’s just not efficient. If you overwork yourself physically, you will tire yourself out and be less productive at what you do. That means that you will actually delay your desired circuit training results if you don’t rest. There are many dangers associated with overworking yourself without taking a break, including:

  • Reduced levels of energy/increased chance of burnout
  • Increase risk of injury and muscle soreness
  • Reduced performance 
  • Irritation and fatigue 

What to do on a rest day

As much as we love spending our days in the gym, rest days serve an important purpose. They’re meant to help your body recover and heal itself after a tough workout. On your next rest day, take some time in the morning to assess how you feel and what your body needs to recover. Some days you may need self-care and extra sleep, other days you may feel good enough to go for a jog or participate in a yoga class. It’s vital to listen to your body and know what it needs to recover. 

Here are some ideas on how to spend your rest day: 

Now that you’ve had a rest day well spent, it’s time to get back to your fitness routine. Contact us today to get started and enjoy our new Circuit Works Santa Monica location.

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