Why it’s important to take a week off from the gym every now and again – the science behind ‘deload weeks’

If you were to think about the key to getting fit, you’d probably imagine you need to spend plenty of time in the gym. But many fitness influencers claim that taking time away from the gym every six to eight weeks – known as a “deload week” – is actually the key to improving fitness gains.

Deload weeks mostly involve toning down the intensity of your workouts. These are typically done during periods of heavy training.