Why you should take a week off from working out, according to science

Editor’s note: The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writers. But many fitness influencers assert that taking time away from the gym every six to eight weeks — known as a “deload week” — is actually the key to improving fitness gains. Another reason it’s so important to take time off from intense training is because without rest we may develop muscle soreness — and potentially even overtraining syndrome. Deload weeks tend to involve some training but at a substantially lower intensity than you’re used to — usually doing around 50% fewer workouts than you normally would or reducing the intensity of your workout by about 20%. Both rest days and deload weeks help the body to recover from training, which is important for improving your fitness.