“That time when you allow yourself to do nothing is when your body’s adapting, particularly if you have done a lot of training and exercise,” says nutritionist and women’s health expert Renee McGregor. “A full day of rest is an opportunity for your body to recalibrate.

When you’re physically active all the time, a lot of chemical reactions are constantly happening. The body needs an opportunity to be still to ask itself what’s going on and what needs fixing. It’s during that time the body will fix the bones, tissues and muscles and make the red blood cells that support your immune system.”

De-stressing

That doesn’t give you a free pass to triple book your weekend just because you didn’t have time to jump into multiple HIIT classes. “Let’s remember that the body doesn’t differentiate between stress, right? Whether it’s physical stress or emotional stress, the body just sees stress,” says McGregor. Long days in the office, huge deadlines or even personal, familial stress needs recovery time.

Rest day guilt: a women’s health expert explains the benefits of doing ‘nothing‘