Are "rest days" necessary?

AlanahBeez

I love working out. I usually hit the gym 7 days a week. It makes me feel good every day, but is it better or will it benefit me more if I take a "rest day" honestly?
(I do weights and then cardio every day. Looking to slim down but get some decent muscle definition)

jemhh

Giving your muscles time to repair between lifting sessions is important. You don't have to be completely sedentary on rest days though. A lot of people spend their rest days doing yardwork, playing sports, etc.

PandoraGreen721

^^^

I'm still active on rest day...just not on the same level as during the week.

MommyMeggo

The only real rest day- and Ill go so far as to call it my lazy day- is usually Sunday if Im lucky. My "rest" days are simply the days I don't lift. But I still do my daily walk and have my normal activity level.

size102b

Yes I tore my calve muscle badly as I never tested my muscles a psyio told me I compacted my muscles
Rest let your body repair

Michael190lbs

I do Push pull Method- Chest shoulders tri's then Legs, then Back which is two days rest between each body part worked. So each body part is worked twice in six days then I take a day off and start over.. I do cardio everyday sometimes two or three times a day typically 10-12 miles on my bike in 30 min but that is more out of pure frustration with stupid people.. Yes it works..lol..

quiltlovinlisa

I do active rest days. Yoga, walking, Leslie Sansone walking DVD are my go to activities. You have to do what works for you, keeping in mind, as stated above, lifting needs a break before working the same muscle groups so they have time to repair.

cwolfman13

You shouldn't be lifting every day...at most, if you're lifting 4-5x per week you should be doing a split so that you're not working the same muscles/groups of muscle on consecutive days. Most people, particularly beginners do better with full body programs that are generally 3x per week. The rest is where the actual magic happens...that's where you make fitness gains, strength gains, physique, etc...rest is just as important as the work.

As far as taking a day or two off completely, it really depends on how intensive your workouts are...and a rest day doesn't necessarily mean you have to do nothing. I just keep it low key on rest days...a nice long walk and/or some yoga or maybe just a recreational bike outing with my kids, etc.

Exercise is good for you, but it can also be a major stress on the body, particularly if you're training hard...you need rest for proper recovery...not allowing for recovery puts you at greater risk of injury...and beyond that, youre doing your fitness in general a disservice. If you're going to hit the gym 7 days per week I'd strongly suggest mixing in lighter and less strenuous workouts in.

singingflutelady

What lifting program are you doing that tells you to lift 7 days a week?

GiddyupTim

I am going to guess it will catch up with you and you will feel it (those days when you wake up and you REALLY do not want to do your workout) and it will impact your performance.
I am older and, as I have gotten older, I have become more aware of the need for rest. I take longer to recover, so I need those recovery days more.
They suggest that you take two days of rest per week. On one of those days, you could do something pretty active but not necessarily really training strenuous -- a good game of frisbee or non-competitive tennis, a long hike, a leisurely bike ride. But, I guess I would advise having one day that was completely athletics/training free.

AdrianChr92

Yes very necessary. Even though I hate them you can just do some cardio or something.

FitGirl0123

If you're lifting weights then absolutely you need a rest day.

BrianSharpe

Think recovery days rather than rest days. If you're lifting or running it's your days off that result in gains (that's when muscle tissue repairs itself and other adaptations occur). Having said that you can do something less intense / lower impact on your recovery days.....swim, bike etc etc

Willbenchforcupcakes

Love my rest days. Still stay active most of the time, but rest days just make me hungry to get back in and train.

MommyMeggo

BrianSharpe wrote: »

Think recovery days rather than rest days.

I like this. +1