Rest days

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How many rest days do you have, and are they pure rest or do you do something else?
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  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    My rest days are usually nothing other than my usual 6000 steps per day. I usually have between 1 and 3 per week depending on what I'm doing.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
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    Misssynth wrote: »
    How many rest days do you have, and are they pure rest or do you do something else?

    Usually one, sometimes two rest days per week.

    Doing something else?

    Active recovery or weight lifting or sometimes just nothing depending on the training load. And every third or fourth week, I do a rest and recovery week of 6-6 days which means I still workout, but with less volume, and less intensity.

    Why should one take a rest day - or periodic rest and recovery weeks?

    The training effect....

    28801659112_49dc409479_b.jpg

    If you are not training for anything (to be bigger, to be smaller, to be faster, stronger, longer, etc...) - I wouldn't worry so much about it outside of allowing your immune system to stay functioning at top notch capacity so you don't get sick.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    i have rest days where i only wake up for long enough to go look for more food (hello deadlifts). and others where i go to the gym anyway and do something 'light'. or i'll form a close and deep relationship with my foam roller and lacrosse ball that lasts all day long.

    i play it by ear basically. if i feel fine i definitely don't strap myself down and order myself not to move very much.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    Zero, but I schedule four days of deload after twelve days of normal working weight.

    My body needs to lift every day for optimal health.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    I don't take any but I'm not doing gruelling workouts. The lightest thing I will do is a 30 minute run/walk interval on the treadmill. The rest of my week is 40 mins on the treadmill and then usually some free weights or body weight work on arms/abs/legs or whatever.
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
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    Two in a normal week, one of which is a run around at work like crazy and the other is a chase my girls around all day long.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
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    I take 2-3 a week. With inactive rest days due to how strenuous my work can be. I also cycle my volume throughout the week to allow proper recovery after heavy compound movements. Id suggest getting on a structured program in order to eliminate the guess work from it all.
  • Blazertrek60
    Blazertrek60 Posts: 18 Member
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    I let my body tell me when to take one. When I started with myfitnesspal I went 155 days before taking my first rest day. Two weeks ago I had an infection and took 5 days off.
  • Misssynth
    Misssynth Posts: 179 Member
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    Thank you for your replies guys! I took two rest days last week but I definitly feel like I didn't need them. I don't want to push myself too hard but at the same time I just feel a bit..rubbish if I don't do SOMETHING. I think I'm going to switch my complete rest days out for either a walk or yoga just to stay active but still allow recovery. Currently I'm doing 3 5k runs and 2 weight sessions a week.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,890 Member
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    Rest days = 0

    Unless I'm ill or injured.

    I've only taken a small handful of rest days in the last couple years.

    I do, however, vary my exercise. Some days might be a 2 km walk ... other days might be a 200 km bicycle ride. :)
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    2 days a week I don't have any weight training programmed. I always try to walk more steps on those days and if my schedule permits, I may go to the gym and train a lagging bodypart or do cardio and abs.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    Rest days = 0

    Unless I'm ill or injured.

    I've only taken a small handful of rest days in the last couple years.

    Good luck with that as you age into your 50's. B)
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,890 Member
    edited November 2016
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    Rest days = 0

    Unless I'm ill or injured.

    I've only taken a small handful of rest days in the last couple years.

    Good luck with that as you age into your 50's. B)

    I'm there! :)

    Well, almost ... just a few months away.


    I'll also add that my husband is in his early 60s and works full-time at a physical job 5 days a week ... plus goes walking with me in the evenings, plus goes cycling with me on the weekends. It's all in what you get used to ... and the intensity at which you do it.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited November 2016
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Rest days = 0

    Unless I'm ill or injured.

    I've only taken a small handful of rest days in the last couple years.

    Good luck with that as you age into your 50's. B)

    I'm there! :)

    Well, almost ... just a few months away.


    I'll also add that my husband is in his early 60s and works full-time at a physical job 5 days a week ... plus goes walking with me in the evenings, plus goes cycling with me on the weekends. It's all in what you get used to ... and the intensity at which you do it.

    Exactly. Rest is relative to the individual and thier training levels and what their body requires to be optimal for their goals.

    Just because you get older doesn't mean you have to take it easier just more aware if what your body needs.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    edited November 2016
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    Misssynth wrote: »
    Thank you for your replies guys! I took two rest days last week but I definitly feel like I didn't need them. I don't want to push myself too hard but at the same time I just feel a bit..rubbish if I don't do SOMETHING. I think I'm going to switch my complete rest days out for either a walk or yoga just to stay active but still allow recovery. Currently I'm doing 3 5k runs and 2 weight sessions a week.

    Active recovery on your rest day(s) is typical - be it a walk, light chores and yard work, yoga & stretching & foam roller work, a 30 - 90 minute spin on the bike in HR Zone 1, massage, core work, etc... Any of those - or something like those - will help remove your feeling of not doing something. There are literally thousands of articles available on the internet written about recovery, rest days, active recovery, the training effect, etc... from some of the best coaches and exercise scientists in the world. Well worth the time to read a bunch of them.

    Assuming your three 5K runs per week, and your two weight training sessions are not always the same intensity or same amount of weights each time - some of your training will require more recovery than others. Learning how to recover and rest is actually more difficult for most people than learning how to train.

    The motto should be: train hard, recover harder.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
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    Rest days are usually Cardio and/or Ab workout days for me.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Misssynth wrote: »
    How many rest days do you have, and are they pure rest or do you do something else?

    One or two...a recovery day is just rest from more vigorous activity...it doesn't mean doing nothing. I might still ride on a recovery day, but it's a recovery/recreational pace..I often go out with my boys who are 6 and 4 so I can't go that fast...or I go for a walk or do some yoga...also things like yard work or I take the boys to the zoo or something and we walk around for a few hours...
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Misssynth wrote: »
    Thank you for your replies guys! I took two rest days last week but I definitly feel like I didn't need them. I don't want to push myself too hard but at the same time I just feel a bit..rubbish if I don't do SOMETHING. I think I'm going to switch my complete rest days out for either a walk or yoga just to stay active but still allow recovery. Currently I'm doing 3 5k runs and 2 weight sessions a week.

    If you really feel like you need one, then it's usually too late....
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
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    I try to run 6 days per week and I take Sunday off. I still get in at least 10K steps on Sunday.
    My runs are usually between 3 and 5 miles.

    I also do cross-fit once a week. Since I'm pretty new to it, there a days after a class where I just can't run at all! Those days end up being rest days, though I still get out and get in a 30 minute walk no matter how sore I am.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Misssynth wrote: »
    Thank you for your replies guys! I took two rest days last week but I definitly feel like I didn't need them. I don't want to push myself too hard but at the same time I just feel a bit..rubbish if I don't do SOMETHING. I think I'm going to switch my complete rest days out for either a walk or yoga just to stay active but still allow recovery. Currently I'm doing 3 5k runs and 2 weight sessions a week.

    If you really feel like you need one, then it's usually too late....

    extension: if you really feel like you need one, you probably need to take two :tongue: