Hello and welcome to the Consistency Project podcast.

My name is Patrick Cummings.

As always, I'm here with E.C. Sinkowski every week on the show. We aim to simplify the science of nutrition, health, and fitness, cutting through the noise to focus on the principles and practices that will help you perform better, feel better, and live better. Thank you so much for tuning into the show. Hello, E.C. How are you? Good. What are you doing? What am I doing? I'm recording a podcast

with a friend of mine. What are you doing? Okay. I guess that's what I'm doing too. And I'm doing great.

Thank you for asking. We're going to talk about rest days today, which it maybe sounds like you need.

Just, you know, just throwing out there. Based on that wrong question, yeah. We're going to talk about rest days. And this is actually, the whole thing is prompted from a note, an email, a communication. I don't know how she sent over from Kelsey. So I'm just going to read it because I think it's going to get us into the conversation perfectly. This is from Kelsey. I was wondering if you might do a podcast episode about rest days. Yes, Kelsey,

we will. Who needs them? How often, etc. Do they actually improve performance and or prevent injury?

Is there a certain amount of rest that seems to be, that seems to optimize performance should rest

days include some low intensity movement like walking or are they best spent on the couch?

I feel like this topic has a lot of internet chatter without a lot of signs or evidence like so many topics. I usually work out six to seven days a week and sometimes wonder if I should take more rest days. I know working out that often is not necessary, but I just really enjoy my time in the gym and feel that it keeps me in a better mental space. I've been in CrossFit for two and a half years with no significant injuries. I've made pretty steady progress, but recently feel like I'm starting to plateau.

I know that's normal at this stage of training, but I'm wondering if adding in more rest days

would be beneficial. Thank you, Kelsey. Where shall we begin, E.C.?

Yeah, she's definitely covered a lot of important variables to consider around rest days.

That's why I just wanted to use that as our outline.

But yeah, I feel like the statement that she said, I feel like this topic has a lot of

internet chatter without a lot of science or evidence is actually where to start.

Because I think like most things that we seem to discuss here, it sounds like so basic of a concept.

Like just talk about rest days, E.C. Just give it simple. Give me some guidelines.

Good, bad. How many? Can we just get over?

Can we just get a quick short answer? And then it's like somehow evolves in this nuance and

complicated no answer, right? And it turns out rest days are no different. More research needs to be done.

More research needs to be done, Kelsey. But I mean, like part of the problem with the rest days is just,

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