Simple Solutions: The importance of a rest day

Arms, legs, cardio, weights and stretching; you have your routine, but are you forgetting one important part?

A rest day or recovery day is just as important as working out.

"Recovery is the proactive balance to the reactive physical therapy," says Gina Pongetti with Achieve Orthopedic Rehab Institute.

Some tell-tale signs you need a recovery day are being tired all day long or having an abnormal heart rate.

Experts recommend taking 24 hours between workouts. This will give your body the chance to replenish energy used.

Rest days also prevent injuries such as overuse or muscle fatigue.

It can also keep your form together. But that doesn't mean just sit on the couch.

Make it active by doing some light stretching, playing with your dog or kids or even taking a hike.

On your off days, don't overdo it. It takes some time out of the gym to get the most out of the gym.

"The next day when you work out, you will actually be able to put more energy into the workout as opposed to the body still residually recovering from the day before," Pongetti said.