Sometimes it’s hard to know when to stop. But, when it comes to exercise, the experts agree, taking a rest day is essential for both the body and the mind.

“You can only train as hard as you recover,” Katherine Sickler , personal trainer and certified strength and conditioning specialist, tells TODAY.com. Just like your workouts, rest requires commitment to prevent injuries, repair tissue and muscles, and keep the immune and metabolic systems functioning properly.

“The nature of exercise training for most people is to follow a training program intentionally and strategically to get stronger,” Elaine Choung-Hee Lee, Ph.D. , professor of exercise science at the University of Connecticut, tells TODAY.com.

When we exercise, we’re stressing the body, Choung-Hee Lee adds. To compensate, t

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