Why Rest Days Matter: Learning to Listen to Your Body
When I first started training for my marathon, I thought pushing myself every single day was the key to getting stronger. If I wasn’t running, I felt guilty — like I was falling behind. But the truth is, progress doesn’t only happen when you’re running. It also happens when you rest.
Rest days are just as important as training days. They give your muscles time to recover, rebuild, and come back stronger. Without rest, your body starts to feel worn down — and that’s when injuries, burnout, and fatigue creep in. I had to learn this the hard way. After a few weeks of pushing too hard, I started feeling more tired than usual, and my runs felt heavier. That’s when I realized that listening to my body isn’t being lazy — it’s being smart.
Rest days don’t mean doing nothing. Sometimes I go for a light walk, stretch, or do yoga. Other times, I completely unplug and let my body — and my mind — reset. Those moments of recovery are what allow me to come back stronger on my next run.
If you’re training for something big, remember: your body will always tell you what it needs — you just have to listen. Rest isn’t the opposite of progress. It’s part of it.
Because growth doesn’t just come from the miles you run — it comes from giving yourself permission to pause, breathe, and trust the process.
What do you do on your rest days?
you explained that so well rest really is part of the grind, not a step back. It’s great that you learned to listen to your body, because that balance is what keeps you progressing and injury-free.
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