Any realistic fitness programme will give resting between workouts good consideration. Some people have the approach that 3 workouts a week is good and 6 workouts are twice as good. In actual fact the extra workouts might be impeding their progress due to fatigue or muscular strain. To get the most out of a fitness session you need to be well rested otherwise you will not gain much and be more likely to pick up an injury.

A day away from exercise allows your muscles, ligaments and tendons time to heal. Specialists will tell you that growth also occurs while resting and not only during a workout. You will know that you have rested enough when you cannot feel the effects of the previous workout. You might often feel that you can push your body that little bit further but you need to understand from past experience how much your body can actually take otherwise you can get injured and not be able to participate in a fitness exercise for up to a month.

Medical research shows that resting between workouts has other benefits. Your immune system is very weak when you over train, therefore catching the flu will be more likely in such instances.

Common signs of over training include irregular heart beat. The increasing difficulty to reach simple fitness goals. Lack of interest in participating in your next fitness exercise and even depression. However the best and most reliable indicators are ones that you can recognize through experience.