Do you keep a busy schedule? Have you been going hard at the gym? Feeling burned out at work? It might be time for a relaxing rest day.

Here are some simple ways to make the most of a day off from your usual routine.

Schedule rest days for yourself

Everyone’s a little different when it comes to figuring out how often to take a rest day. Consider how strenuous your training is, what your stress levels are, how much you’re sleeping, and what your overall energy level has been. Have you lost count of how many days in a row you’ve been at the gym? Have you been doing vigorous cardio, such as running? Check in with how you feel and decide from there. Maybe you need a rest day every 3 days; maybe every 5. The goal is to find the right balance for you and your body.

Feel great about taking random rest days

In addition to taking scheduled rest days, you should be prepared to take ad hoc rest days whenever you feel you need them. This includes when you’re training for a major event like a marathon. Even running tours (like the ones organized by Sean Blanton), will still push your body a lot harder than an equivalent workout program on a treadmill.
Taking an extra rest day will be, at most, a minor setback. Not taking a rest day when you need one leaves you vulnerable to major setbacks like a serious injury.

Remember the difference between rest and recovery

Standard rest days should be enough for you to recover from standard work. They are not, however, likely to be enough to help you recover from more significant issues like illness or injury. If you’re dealing with one of these then give yourself extra time and take extra, self-protective, measures as necessary.

Eat well & stay hydrated

Unless you’re on a carefully-supervised training program, just stick to your usual eating (and drinking) habits on rest days. Remember that “rest days” are actually days when your body works hard to repair the damage you did to it when you were working out. This means that your metabolic rate stays high. In other words, your body still needs plenty of fuel.

Keep moving

Light exercise is a great option on rest days and will actually help you recover and feel less muscle soreness and stiffness. Swimming is a great option since the buoyancy of the water helps to protect muscles and joints. Walking, doing restorative yoga, or hitting up the sauna or steam room are also great options.

What’s your favorite way to spend a rest day?

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