Global Health Asia-Pacific May 2022 May 2022 | Page 18

Holistic Health

Rest is crucial to reap exercise benefits

Excessive workouts can be harmful , while rest allows the body to regain strength and repair muscle tissue

One often-repeated dogma is that regular exercise can contribute to mental and physical well-being while preventing a host of chronic conditions like heart disease , diabetes , and cancer . But little talked about is how skipping a work-out session can be just as important , especially when you don ’ t have the energy for it .

“ Rest and recovery absolutely are necessary ,” Dr Hunter Paris , an associate professor of sports medicine at Pepperdine University in California , told Time . “ Fatigue , to a degree , is beneficial [ because it signifies progress ]. But there comes a point where fatigue can accumulate and overwhelm a bit .” Bottom line : too much excercise can be harmful . This is particularly so for middle-aged and older people as excessive strenuous endurance exercise can put them at higher risk of cardiovascular problems like atrial fibrillation , myocardial fibrosis , and coronary atherosclerosis , wrote the authors of the 2018 study The Goldilocks Zone for Exercise : Not Too Little , Not Too Much .
They believe the optimal time doing physical activity stands at about 150 minutes per week of moderateintensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorousintensity aerobic activity each week , with the goal of doing no more than four to five hours of vigorous exercise weekly , especially for people older than 45 . They recommend taking at least one day off from vigorous exercise every week .
But the authors also say there ’ s no maximum threshold for low-to-moderate intensity activities like walking , housework , and gardening . Indeed , a healthy practice is to stand up and move for about five minutes for every 30 minutes of sitting .
Dr Paris told Time a one-size-fits-all rule for rest might not work for everyone as some people preferred a full day off while others would rather do low-intensity activities , suggesting that individuals should consider how they feel , especially in terms of fatigue , soreness , and drops in performance when making the right call about when to rest .
Taking some rest is also important for tissue repair and to reduce the risk of injury . “ If you continue to work the same muscles you use in your workout routine , they are in a constant state of effort and can transition to a state of overuse ,” Jess Spelke , a trainer for AKT Denver , told Huffpost . “ Once you reach this state , you can be injured and / or imbalances are created within the body because the overworked muscle is not as effective .”
She added that this would help prevent a state of exhaustion resulting in fractures or joint pain that could then force you to rest for more than a day .
Finally , rest will also help build up muscles , a key goal of many people who exercise , by giving them time to repair . “ The real magic happens when your muscle tissue repairs itself [ during ] days off and you come back stronger and with more muscle mass ,” Holly Rilinger , the creator of the workout LIFTED , told Huffpost .
Taking some rest is also important for tissue repair and to reduce the risk of injury .
16 MAY 2022 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com