Everyone serious about their workout routine knows the path to fitness and weight loss is 20% workout and 80% nutrition. What few people consider is how to maximize the benefits of their workout with appropriate rest. Sometimes less really is more, so always strategically plan in rest days and activities to support your workout routine.
While it can be difficult to work out too much, it's all too common to focus too little on recovery. So ditch the guilt and time spent worrying you're killing your progress with a rest day and give yourself a break. Focus on your rest day with the same intention and dedication you give your workouts and you'll be on the right track. Your muscles need this time to repair, rebuild, and strengthen from the hard core shredding you've put them through during the week. Think of resting and the settling period for all your hard work of training. Without it, you might just see fewer results over longer lengths of time.
Depending on your workout and training plan you'll want to consider both long-term and short-term recovery in your plans. If you're pushing hard for a triathlon in a few weeks your recovery plan will be different than if you're trying to hit new levels of fitness throughout the year. There's also the rest you should be planning into your pre- and post-workout routine. Working with a professional, like a physical therapist/personal trainer, will be a huge asset in planning these essential recovery days into your routine.
If the idea of resting is too much for your hyperactive personality then rest assured that there is such a thing as active rest and recovery can even be fun. If you've never considered things like acupuncture or electrolysis for muscle relaxation then you've never fully considered the full gamut of potential rest days. Most people know massage and restorative yoga classes are amazing for relaxing, but also consider icing, AlterG jogs, and cryotherapy as fun, interesting, and effective ways to rest from your hours of hard work.