Many people are not aware of how their bodies work. They think that if they can keep going all day long without taking a break that they are helping their bodies grow. However, in truth the reality is that too much endless activity without a break can cause a person to become sick and even wear down his or her body. When people want to stay in the best shape possible, they may do well to learn why rest is important for muscle growth.
Muscles are just like any other part of the body and need a rounded wellness regimen to stay healthy. You are encouraged to eat well, take vitamin supplements as needed, and exercise regularly to keep your muscles limber and fit. However, just like the other parts of your body, your muscles do require that you slow down and take it easy once in awhile. They cannot keep going all day long without wearing out and even becoming sick.
In reality, your muscular system can become ill as with any other system. When the parts of this system become ill, you are at risk of developing strains, tears, and other injuries. You may even develop blood clots that could travel to your heart and brain. While staying active can allow you to avoid gaining weight and losing immunity to certain diseases, your body requires that you sleep for at least eight hours a night and take a few breaks during the regular workday.
When you stop your normal activity, you give your muscles a chance to become dormant and relax. They lose the tight knots and strain that cause you pain. They also elongate and absorb more minerals and vitamins from your diet, ironically. Resting is just as vital as exercise when it comes to nutrient absorption.
When they take a break, these parts also ease the strain that could cause you injury. For example, if one of your tendons was about to become strained, resting could move away that strain and alleviate it altogether. When you resume your activity, your tendon will not become injured as it might have had you not taken the respite at all. You gave your body time to recuperate from the stress you put on it earlier.
Another point to make involves the fact that resting allows you to stay more limber than if you had kept working all day long. You may see this in evidence by watching football matches. When a player is kept in the game every quarter without being rested, he sometimes will collapse on the sidelines during a time-out. His muscles have cramped up.
The trainer then must rub out the cramps and ice down his legs before allowing the player back into the game. The idea that continuous exercise is somehow good is proven wrong by seeing football players suffer pain on the sidelines during games. They are the most physically fit people in the world. But even they cannot sustain repeated abuse of their muscular system without a proper reprieve. They risk being injured just like you might if you fail to stop what you are doing once in awhile. By resting, you give your body a chance to grow and heal properly.
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