Workouts and exercise can be addicting, and many hardcore gym rats and bodybuilders have a hard time taking time off.  It is completely logical that your body needs time to recover from workouts, so it also stands to reason that looking at the BIG picture, your body would need some significant rest from time to time.

Professional athletes always give their body a rest from time to time.  Serious bodybuilders will often take a few weeks off from the gym after major competitions to allow their body to rest and recover, and to allow their mind to rest and “reboot” also.

However, those of us who don’t compete and are just serious enthusiasts or lifters often fail to take these rest periods.  Workouts are addicting and we can get a bit obsessive about things.

It also follows that often these rest periods are forced upon us.  Case in point: I just strained my back in the gym during a set of squats.  I am now taking a rest from the gym to let the back recover.   It’s not a serious injury, just a muscle strain, but it’s enough to keep me from going in and lifting.  This rest may just be a few more days, or it could be another week.  Time will tell.

Looking back, I should have seen this coming.  I’ve just been through months of serious training and heavy lifting.  Even the occasional “light day” in the gym often turned into a regular heavy day.  It’s just so much fun to move a lot of weight when you’re doing well and have a good workout partner at your side.

But my systems were off.  I was not stretching as much as usual, was under extra stress outside the gym, was not finding time for my regular cardio…. you get the idea.  And then this strain took care of these issues and forced me to get the rest I likely needed.

So if you find yourself forced into rest, don’t beat yourself up, but accept the “upside” of the situation and embrace the rest period.  Also take this moment to re-evaluate your life systems and see what you need to change….or get back to doing…that will help you resume your workouts in a better way and more “in balance.”  You’ll be back in the gym and enjoying your workouts again very soon.