Vigorous exercise puts stress on your body and damages muscle tissues. A rest day gives the tissues the time they need to repair and get stronger.
A day off can prevent an injury: If you push your body too hard and too often without a break, you’re likely to end up with injuries and pain. Exhaustion can lead to stress fractures, overuse injuries, joint pain and emotional fatigue.
You’ll save your bone mass: a 2017 study that found overtraining may cause a decrease in bone density. The researchers wrote, “Very intense training without adequate recovery period may lead to increased inflammation and subsequent bone resorption (loss).