We all know that working out is not only great for keeping fit but also for losing weight. However how many of us really thought about the importance of having adequate rest periods between our workouts?

If you don't take days off from training you may well be doing more harm to your body than good. It is normal for some people who haven't exercised for many years to try and make up for lost time and over do it. Chances are that if this is you you may actually feel a lot worse than you did before you started out on your exercise regime.

You need to look for a balance between hard days and easy days. If you have a hard day on Thursday and Friday you will feel overly tired and won't enjoy your day off. You need to actually enjoy your rest day, not be really hurting from exercise. A rest day means no exercise and not an easy day so be sure to do no exercise whatsoever.

If you don't have adequate rest you are not giving your body enough time to recover from the stresses you put on it when exercising. If you are in training for a specific event you should do very little exercise in the days leading up to the event. Don't feel that you need to cram in extra work like before taking an exam as you will leave yourself lacking energy and will perform badly.

Once you have competed your event take a week or so off to recover. You have nothing to gain by continually punishing your body.

The golden rule is that if you can wake up in the morning and feel ready for your next workout then you are doing everything right. If you feel weak and are lacking motivation then it's time to cut back.

Jenni Hadlow enjoys writing articles she