Another factor to consider, especially for athletes, is cross-training, which can help ensure different muscles are being used each day. Quinby is a proponent of cross-training, as it keeps the body from repetitive daily stress.
If you're creating a workout routine, be sure to include rest days as a form of injury prevention, and vary your workouts.
More: How to Boost Athletic Performance With Active Rest
Gender Differences
Another important characteristic of rest and injury prevention is men and women should think about it differently. For women, the biggest challenge faced is what can happen to bones from overuse injuries.
"Women are at an increase for injuries such as stress fractures," Quinby says. "This has to do with osteoporosis."
This increased risk means women must listen to their bodies more. When experiencing pain, it's important to seek professional advice.
Sometimes, the only way to heal is to turn down the intensity of your workouts. Without this, injuries can occur or worsen, forcing you to stop exercising completely. To stay pain-free and on track with your goals, you simply need to take a day or two off.
More: How Many Rest Days Do You Need?
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