you’re sore and tired after a workout), but stress from work, family drama, or any kind of life change will stack physiological and psychological effects on top of that (i.e. Yes, stress from exercise will affect your body and brain (i.e. That’s especially important considering stress isn’t just physical. In terms of mental health, that rest from stress is necessary so we can come back stronger.” “Taking a break has a really positive impact on our thoughts, moods, emotions, even the structure of our brains. “Our brains regenerate just like our muscles do,” says Detling. Your brain benefits from that time off, too. And the more prolonged that stress, the bigger of a break you’ll need. When you put your body under stress from exercise, it breaks down your muscle fibers during the recovery phase, your body works to repair those microtears. Just like your body needs recovery after a single hard workout, it needs recovery from extended efforts-whether that’s a marathon training cycle or a track season. And then you lose control over when you’re taking time off, how you’re taking time off, and when you get to come back.” “There’s that old adage, ‘someone else is out there training when you aren’t.’ But the reality is, if you don’t take time off, you’ll be forced to. “One of the most difficult things for athletes to do is take time off,” says Nicole Detling, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of Utah, and author of Don't Leave Your Mind Behind: The Mental Side of Performance. Join Runner's World+ for unlimited access to the best training tips for runners what’s more uncomfortable than a marathon?). Runners-especially distance runners like the women above-tend to push through pain and discomfort (after all. Why Smart Runners Occasionally Step Away From Running

To take time out