If anyone deserves a vacation this year, it’s gotta’ be Simone Biles — America’s newest sweetheart took home five medals for the good ol’ US of A, and now, she says it’s time for a break. If you work out regularly, taking a day off from the gym each week gives your body a well-deserved break. While the average gym-goer doesn't necessarily need to plan longer breaks from the gym, athletes and people recovering from vigorous training or challenging athletic events can benefit from taking a week off from the gym . Simone Biles Is Taking a Much-Needed Break from Gymnastics Nicole Briese. After taking a two-year break from competing, Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles became the first woman in 24 years to win five U.S., all-around titles at the 2018 U.S. Hamms to emphasize education: Olympic gold medalist Paul Hamm and his twin brother, Morgan, are taking a break. Gymnastics. Shawn is currently taking a break from gymnastics after the Olympics in August of 2008. Double Olympic champion Max Whitlock is to take a six-month break from gymnastics in order to be at his best for the 2017 World Championships in October. Gymnastics … Even though it’s her birthday, Simone Biles isn’t taking a break urging USA Gymnastics to conduct an independent investigation into the Larry Nassar scandal. Here are the crucial reasons why you should take a break from exercise if you want to see gains. Sep 04, 2016. Double Olympic gold medallist Max Whitlock has announced he is taking a six-month break from competitive gymnastics. Advertisement #1 Avoid Burnout. However, for a sport like gymnastics that is so dependent on progression (building up from one skill to the next, more difficult skill) and constant maintenance of strength and flexibility, taking a long break in the summer can really hurt a gymnast’s development in the sport.