Exercising every day? You may need to stop

Keeping fit requires consistency, motivation and discipline – establishing a routine and sticking with it. But building fitness also involves regularly breaking that routine and getting enough rest. In fact, choosing when not to work out can be as important as the exercise itself.

“Recovery is part of the process,” says Justin Santos, a head coach at the Academy of Lions, a fitness club in Toronto. “Neglecting rest is just as bad as skipping out on a month’s worth of training.”