Science

Why Doing Less Might Be the Missing Piece in Your Health Routine

Why Doing Less Might Be the Missing Piece in Your Health Routine

There is a quiet assumption many women carry that rest is something to be earned.

We'll promise ourselves we'll slow down once we've finished the work project, emptied the washing basket, replied to every email, exercised, prepared healthy meals and looked after everyone else. Until then, rest feels indulgent. Lazy, even. Yet, biologically speaking, nothing could be further from the truth. Recovery isn't the reward for living well. It is one of the foundations of living well. The irony is that while we often focus on doing more to improve our health, one of the most overlooked pieces of the puzzle is learning when to do less.

 

Rest Is Not the Absence of Health. It's Part of It.

When we think about health, we naturally think about the active things we can do, such as, resistance training, hitting our protein target, eating more vegetables or reaching 10,000 steps. What we rarely celebrate is recovery. Yet many of the body's most important processes occur during periods of rest. This is when muscles repair following exercise, when the immune system carries out maintenance. It’s when our memories are consolidated, hormones are regulated and tissues recover from the cumulative stresses of everyday life. Exercise itself is actually a form of controlled stress. Every workout creates microscopic damage to muscle fibres that signals the body to adapt and become stronger.1 The improvements in strength, fitness and resilience don't occur during the workout itself, they occur afterwards, during recovery.8

 

The Brain Was Never Designed to Be Productive All Day

One of the most fascinating discoveries in neuroscience is something known as the Default Mode Network (DMN). For years, scientists assumed that when we weren't actively concentrating on a task, the brain was simply "switching off." It turns out the opposite is true. During periods of daydreaming, walking without headphones, staring out of the window or quietly sitting with our thoughts, a collection of brain regions known as the Default Mode Network becomes highly active.2 Research suggests the DMN plays an important role in2:

  • creativity and problem-solving
  • consolidating memories
  • emotional processing
  • self-reflection
  • making sense of our experiences
  • imagining future possibilities

It's why our best ideas often appear in the shower, during a walk or while driving home from work rather than sitting in front of your laptop. In a world that celebrates constant productivity, we've become uncomfortable with stillness. Yet these seemingly "unproductive" moments may be some of the most cognitively valuable parts of our day. 

 

The Different Types of Rest

Importantly, rest extends far beyond simply getting enough sleep. While sleep is one of the most powerful recovery tools we have, it's only one form of restoration. Sometimes we're physically tired but mentally energised. Other times we've slept eight hours yet still feel emotionally depleted.

Different forms of rest support different aspects of our health. Physical rest allows the body to repair and recover. Sensory rest, such as switching off notifications gives the brain a break from the constant stimulation of modern life. Creative rest, whether that's spending time in nature, reading or simply allowing your mind to wander, provides the space for the Default Mode Network to do some of its most important work. Social rest is about making time to nurture the relationships that leave you feeling energised, supported and connected. Health isn't just about moving more. It's also about recognising what type of rest your mind and body need on any given day.3

 

The Hidden Cost of Constant Stress

The body is remarkably well equipped to cope with short bursts of stress. The problem arises when stress becomes chronic. When we're constantly rushing, multitasking or mentally switched on, the nervous system can remain in a heightened state of alertness. Cortisol, our primary stress hormone, is designed to rise during periods of challenge before returning to baseline once the threat has passed. Modern life doesn't always allow for that recovery. Over time, prolonged activation of the stress response can disrupt sleep, impair digestion, influence immune function and contribute to low-grade inflammation.4,5 Many women also notice changes in mood, energy and appetite during periods of chronic stress. Stress itself isn't the problem. It's when recovery never catches up that it begins to take its toll.

 

Why This Matters Even More During Perimenopause

As oestrogen levels begin to decline in perimenopause, the body's ability to buffer the physiological effects of stress also declines. Oestrogen interacts with the brain, nervous system and stress-response pathways, meaning many women notice they become more sensitive to the physiological effects of stress during this stage of life.6 They may feel more overwhelmed by situations they previously coped with easily, heightened anxiety or simply feel as though their resilience has changed.6

At the same time, muscle mass naturally begins to decline and recovery from exercise can take longer. This creates something of a perfect storm. Poor sleep makes stress harder to manage, chronic stress makes recovery more difficult and inadequate recovery can influence everything from training adaptations to mood, appetite and energy. This doesn't mean women should stop challenging their bodies. In fact, resistance training becomes even more important during perimenopause because it helps preserve muscle mass, supports bone density, improves insulin sensitivity and promotes healthy ageing.7 However, the benefits of training don't happen during the workout itself, they happen afterwards.

Recovery is when muscle fibres repair and strengthen.8 It's when hormones begin to rebalance, the nervous system settles and the body adapts to the challenge you've just asked it to perform. Think of exercise and recovery as two halves of the same equation. One creates the stimulus; the other creates the adaptation.8 The goal during perimenopause isn't to exercise less. It's to recover well enough that your body can fully benefit from the movement you're already doing.8

 

How to Introduce More "Yin" Into Your Week

Recovery doesn't have to mean spending a weekend at a wellness retreat. Small, consistent moments throughout the day are often enough to shift the nervous system into a calmer, more restorative state. Some simple ways to do this include:

Go for a walk without a destination.

Walking remains one of the most underrated forms of exercise. Beyond its cardiovascular benefits, it provides an opportunity for your mind to wander, supports nervous system regulation and offers a natural break from constant stimulation. Leave your phone behind occasionally, you might be surprised what your brain comes up with.

Don't underestimate yoga and mobility work.

High-intensity exercise and resistance training deserve their place. So do yoga, stretching and mobility. These practices improve flexibility and balance while encouraging slower breathing, greater body awareness and activation of the parasympathetic "rest and digest" system. If your goal is to truly slow down, yin yoga is one of the most restorative styles. Unlike more dynamic forms of yoga, poses are held for several minutes, encouraging stillness, mindful breathing and gentle, sustained stretching. Many people find this helps release physical tension while creating the mental space to unwind.

Create small rituals.

Recovery is easier when it becomes part of your routine. Small, consistent rituals help signal to the brain and nervous system that it's time to shift out of "go mode" and into a more restorative state. The good news is they don't need to be complicated or time consuming. Some of my favourites include:

·      A cup of herbal tea after dinner.

  • Five minutes of journalling before bed.
  • Reading a few pages of a book instead of scrolling.
  • Enjoying your morning coffee in the sunshine.
  • Taking a few slow, deep breaths before opening your laptop.
  • Eating meals without your phone or other distractions.
  • Listening to your favourite podcast while out on a walk.
  • Where appropriate, targeted nutritional support can also complement a healthy lifestyle. STAIT Recover, for example, has been formulated to support women through periods of increased physiological stress.
Prioritise sleep

If there were one intervention, I wish more people treated as seriously as exercise, it would be sleep. Sleep underpins almost every aspect of health, from mood and immune function to muscle recovery, hormonal regulation and cognitive performance.9

It's not time lost, it's one of the most productive things your body does.

 

The Bigger Picture

Health isn't simply about the food we eat or the workouts we squeeze into our calendars. Those things matter but they're only part of the picture. Sometimes, health is found in what we intentionally leave out. The meeting you don't schedule. The workout you swap for a walk. The evening you choose an early night over another commitment. The few quiet minutes spent staring out of the window, allowing your mind to wander.

We don't become healthier by constantly asking more of ourselves. We become healthier by creating enough space for the body and mind to respond to the healthy things we're already doing. Recovery isn't time wasted, it's where adaptation happens. It's where muscles repair, memories consolidate, emotions are processed, and the nervous system finds its way back to balance. So, if you've been feeling guilty for slowing down, consider this your permission slip to go for the walk, read the book or watch the world go by.

References: 
  1. Smith JAB, Murach KA, Dyar KA, Zierath JR. Exercise metabolism and adaptation in skeletal muscle. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2023 Sep;24(9):607-632.
  2. Azarias FR, Almeida GHDR, de Melo LF, Rici REG, Maria DA. The Journey of the Default Mode Network: Development, Function, and Impact on Mental Health. Biology (Basel). 2025 Apr 10;14(4):395.
  3. Jebelli J. The Brain at Rest: How the Art and Science of Doing Nothing Can Improve Your Life. Torva; 2025.
  4. Leigh SJ, Uhlig F, Wilmes L, Sanchez-Diaz P, Gheorghe CE, Goodson MS, Kelley-Loughnane N, Hyland NP, Cryan JF, Clarke G. The impact of acute and chronic stress on gastrointestinal physiology and function: a microbiota-gut-brain axis perspective. J Physiol. 2023;601(20):4491-4538.
  5. Kalmbach DA, Anderson JR, Drake CL. The impact of stress on sleep: Pathogenic sleep reactivity as a vulnerability to insomnia and circadian disorders. J Sleep Res. 2018 Dec;27(6).<
  6. Albert KM, Newhouse PA. Estrogen, Stress, and Depression: Cognitive and Biological Interactions. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2019 May 7;15:399-423.
  7. Capel-Alcaraz AM, García-López H, Castro-Sánchez AM, Fernández-Sánchez M, Lara-Palomo IC. The Efficacy of Strength Exercises for Reducing the Symptoms of Menopause: A Systematic Review. J Clin Med. 2023 Jan 9;12(2):548.
  8. Jordan Acheson, Sophie Joanisse, Craig Sale, Nathan Hodson; Recycle, repair, recover: the role of autophagy in modulating skeletal muscle repair and post-exercise recovery. Biosci Rep 30 January 2025; 45 (1): 1–30.
  9. Walker M. Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams. Penguin Books; 2018.