Anyone else not taking a true "rest day?"

theawill519

I never take a true rest day. The absolutely least I do on any given day is a 3 mile walk. Is this potentially harmful? Anyone else not taking a real rest day? Is there any reason I should be taking one??

DavPul

A 3 mile walk sounds pretty restful. No one need confine themselves to wheelchairs and bed rest on rest days

OldAssDude

A 3 mile walk at a cardio pace is my rest day too.

I walk every day to get my 10,000 (or more) steps in. I try to ride my bicycle 3 days a week, and kayak 3 days a week. So that leaves one day that I only have to walk, and consider that my rest day.

I don't think walking could ever be harmful.

MakePeasNotWar

No need to stop *all* activity on a rest day. Just don't do your regular training. If your usual training is very intense, you may want to stick with things like yoga and walking on rest day, but otherwise, you can do pretty much anything that is different from your workouts.

When I am training for a fight, I generally do a short run, an hour or two of yoga, and about 5 miles of walking on my rest days.

ETA: while activity is ok on a rest day, it's not required if you don't want to. When I'm not "in training", I pretty much do zero exercise on Sundays (unless Netflix marathons count).

Mr_Knight

Thea519 wrote: »

I never take a true rest day. The absolutely least I do on any given day is a 3 mile walk. Is this potentially harmful? Anyone else not taking a real rest day? Is there any reason I should be taking one??

No, there's nothing remotely harmful about that, unless there's an injury involved and you're not listening to your doctor.

For a finely tuned athletic machine, a rest day could easily be a relaxed 5k run.

AsISmile

Personally I love working out, but I also love love love days I can just veg out on the couch and do nothing. Which is kinda weird since I consider myself quite an active person. I guess I just really need that one day to rest and get energy for a new week

snowflake930

No rest days for me (I had years.............well, really decades) of rest days. I go to the gym everyday, but every other day, easy pace on elliptical (HR up to about 100-110), heavier work out the other days. I also log about 5 miles walking everyday.

theawill519

Good advice here. I guess I should've also mentioned that I'm far from a "finely tuned athletic machine."

I'm 5'10 and 267 lbs. My walks are always outside (I live in lower Alabama, so it's like a million degrees all the time) and I walk at 3.5-4 mph. I've been working out and eating healthy for 3 months now, so the walks are definitely easier, but not what I would call restful.

It's good to know that what I'm doing isn't technically harmful, though. Thanks guys!

ROBOTFOOD

Did 405x2 deads yesterday and maxed on bench today. 245x1. Still feel good and ready for more tomorrow.

OldAssDude

Thea519 wrote: »

Good advice here. I guess I should've also mentioned that I'm far from a "finely tuned athletic machine."

I'm 5'10 and 267 lbs. My walks are always outside (I live in lower Alabama, so it's like a million degrees all the time) and I walk at 3.5-4 mph. I've been working out and eating healthy for 3 months now, so the walks are definitely easier, but not what I would call restful.

It's good to know that what I'm doing isn't technically harmful, though. Thanks guys!

Sounds like you are doing great. I walk at the same pace, and had trouble walking a mile at first. Now I can do 4 mile pretty easy in a little over an hour.

Keep up the good work.

alfonsinarosinsky

Sunday is my rest day and other than shopping or taking a walk I do rest. It's hard though because I love the gym so it takes effort not to go lol.

Pinnacle_IAO

Thea519 wrote: »

I never take a true rest day. The absolutely least I do on any given day is a 3 mile walk. Is this potentially harmful? Anyone else not taking a real rest day? Is there any reason I should be taking one??

I rest my body in sections by laying off certain routines.
If I hit the free weights, I rest from free weights for 4 days while I hike, bike or swim.
If I train MMA, I rest from that 2 days while I might play tennis, perform calisthenics, dance or jump on a trampoline.
And so on...

FitPhillygirl

Monday's are usually a rest day for me but I still like to get out and do a 5 miles at a easy pace.

SonyaCele

I have taken 100% rest days where i do absolutely nothing for several days prior to a powerlifting meet, but otherwise my regular rest days are filled with lots of activitie like walking , gardening, playing, etc

Psychgrrl

I engage in "active rest." Sunday mornings, I take a long walk on the bike trails here. 3.0-3.5 mph pace. Carry water, sometimes a chia bar. Oh and pepper spray. Dang coyotes!

Drewlssix

I have added running after my 5x5 on my on days and walking several miles on my off days. I have committed to a 10K in about 5 weeks time.

I do still prioritize the weights though, I only do my miles afterwords to avoid compromising performance under the bar and I only walk on my off days to allow good recovery for the next session of lifting.

Not only is strength training my priority now but I would rather come up short during a run than a lift, not finishing the route is a lot less risky than not finishing a heavy press lol.

piperdown44

Haven't had a day where I lounged around in a long time. This weekend I was tiling the bathroom and making rafters for a shed I'm building.
Between lawn mowing, gardening, laundry and helping clean the house I don't think I've had a true rest day in a long time.

cwilso37

I take a complete rest day (such as today I logged only 1k steps and no workout just some stretches) once a week. If I don't I seem to rack up injures over time.

kwtilbury

I train early Thursday morning and not again until late Friday afternoon. I consider the time in between a rest "day".

becalee26

I still get my 12000 steps on my rest days. It usually from walking and not going to gym or running.

patrikc333

no rest days for me as well, I run and walk everyday

some are pro, some are cons

in the end it depends on you

I feel well, I can eat lots, I'll have years when I'll get older to rest a bit more, it's good for my spirit&body, and I must move

ald783

I don't think there is anything physically harmful with that, but if you start to get bored or burned out mentally, there's nothing wrong with taking some rest days here and there. I walk a lot separate from my actual exercise routine and don't consider that rest, but mentally I'm just not someone that wants to work out 6 or 7 days a week. If you enjoy it keep it up, but no shame in taking a few rest days either.

mbaker566

if it's at an easy pace and you aren't ignoring a nagging injury, I think it's ok to take an easy day as opposed to a rest day
when I was less active, I didn't take rest days
but now that I'm doing more strenuous stuff for me, I do take a rest day as my body feels needed.

Soundwave79

I prefer active rest days. Sundays are my supposed rest days but I have my weekly softball game and usually get a walk in plus house work and whatever else. Anytime I just sit around on the couch for an entire day I find myself worse off, more sore, more stiff. Active rest works better for me.

dolliesdaughter

I do take true rest days (Just a leisure walk), but yesterday was the first Sunday that I did not take a true rest. I partied Saturday night and had too much Taco Salad. 1 30 minute cardio workout was it.

quiltlovinlisa

Yoga, walking, pilates, all are tools on my rest days. I feel better.