Why you need downtime at the gym and what to do with it

If you’re looking to see gains in your size and strength or simply burn some fat, you need to prioritise rest. It’s common knowledge now that a well-designed training program isn’t just focused on reps, sets and weights. The training element that is often ignored is rest, and many gym-goers look to avoid any downtime in the gym. However, taking a moment to recuperate the strength required to complete another set can benefit your regime.

While too small a period of rest between your sets will mean sub-maximal muscle growth, too long a rest period can be a waste of time and make you fall out of the zone. So, what are some activities that are convenient, always available, and perfect for those small chunks of time between sets?

Strategy

At the beginning of every year, millions of people will promise themselves that their workout and diet will improve and they will achieve their fitness goals. While a fresh year presents a convenient and socially engineered chance to make a commitment to improvement, the dramatic pledges are often forgotten by spring. Strategic thinking can make your efforts sustainable, and is something you can improve if you take the time to focus.

It’s important to be strategic when planning your workout. Reasonable steps always include setting realistic targets, getting the nutrients and calories that your body needs, and, equally important, letting your body rest. In this sense, we can see these types of strategic skills in casino games like poker, blackjack, roulette, and slots where you need to consider your next move and when to play or pass, as well as managing your funds. One key aspect is always knowing your limits or knowing when to take advantage of new workouts. In a parallel, this can be seen with casino bonuses too, as it’s important to take advantage of what’s on offer, whether it’s a particular promotion or certain gym equipment. That’s not even mentioning that games like poker have strategic aspects to them, arguably the strategic decision-making that makes these games so everlasting. 

Elevate

Why not condition your brain while you work on your body? Elevate Labs have developed this edutainment brain-training game to help anybody improve their literacy and numeracy. Elevate was Apple’s selection for best iPhone app in 2014 and plenty of new games have been added since then. Just like a physical workout, regular use of Elevate produces results and you should see gains in focus, memory, vocabulary, maths skills, and more.

Personalised daily workouts provide very different and challenging games. Whichever games are delivered to you, they don’t take long to complete, making them perfect pit-stops for a gym session. Getting both a mental and physical personal best in one session is a great confidence booster.

Balance

There are many benefits to meditation and we are increasingly aware of how essential it is to overall wellbeing. Balance is an app that starts you off gradually and is meticulous in steering you through the techniques that will make meditation work for you.

While Balance’s coaches direct you towards increasing the time for each of your meditation sessions, loads last just a few minutes and could be perfect for downtime at the gym. Google named Balance the best app of 2021 and, as your first year with the app is free, why not give it a try?

Even for those that aren’t in peak condition, your workout is important whether you’re into powerlifting or boxing workouts as it will ultimately improve your fitness. Whatever the workout, make sure you employ rest periods to gain maximum benefit and one of these short time-killers could help make the most of those moments. 

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