Welcome back to Get Fit Guy, Coach Kevin Don here.

This past week, I received an email from a listener who'd come across an older Get Fit Guy episode and had some questions.

The email was as follows.

Hi there.

I just read your article on long-term rest periods from exercise, and I found it really interesting.

I'm a 40-year-old guy who does three days a week of calisthenics and three days a week long-distance running about 18 to 20 kilometers per session.

I've always struggled with my weight, and I love this new exercise system I have,

as it's given me a much leaner physique than even in my 20s.

Generally, I feel much better, and I eat way better too.

But I know I probably don't eat enough calories for long-term maintenance and I'm toying with the idea of taking a week off the running. Psychologically makes me

feel uneasy. I know your article was in depth, but do you think that I should take a week's break

off running? I don't want to lose what

I've gained and I don't want to lose my passion for it either. Thanks, Ian. Okay, so first thing is,

this was an episode from a previous host. So before I can respond to this, I have to go and read the article.

So if you haven't read or listened to it, the main takeaways were, firstly, that bones,

ligaments, and tendons receive less blood flow than muscles.

This means they don't recover from exercise as quickly. By taking a week off

every six to eight weeks, you give these structures with less blood flow the opportunity to recover,

reducing injuries. Secondly, you get fitter and stronger via recovery, and if you're training every day, you may not have adequate recovery time.

So having a week off may allow you to recover and come back stronger.

Thirdly, increased motivation.

When we train, it can take a toll on us mentally and emotionally. Therefore, a break will re-energize you, motivation. When we train, it can take a toll on us, mentally and emotionally.

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