Christmas Day - rest day or not?

miratps
miratps Posts: 141 Member
edited November 14 in Health and Weight Loss
So those who exercise daily/often, will you be resting on Christmas Day or will you be working out in the mornings?

I've not had a rest day in months and am considering actually sleeping past 5 for once and not moving at all but as I've not done it for months, I am also dreading it!
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Replies

  • Savagedistraction
    Savagedistraction Posts: 312 Member
    nope
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,333 Member
    If you're going to feel guilty or have dread. get up at five in the morning and workout.. no one else will be up.. so you won't be missed. It is a personal choice.
  • miratps
    miratps Posts: 141 Member
    SLLeask wrote: »
    Having a rest day is something you are dreading? That's not a healthy mindset! It's Christmas, enjoy it for goodness sake, it's just one day. Not exercising for the day would probably actually do you some good if you've been exercising daily for months - even elite athletes take a day off now and then. Even if you sit on the sofa and eat turkey and Christmas pud all day, it won't undo the hard work you've put in - honest!
    elisa123gal wrote: »
    If you're going to feel guilty or have dread. get up at five in the morning and workout.. no one else will be up.. so you won't be missed. It is a personal choice.

    I think I NEED a rest but the guilt is making me feel bad cos I'm not used to it. Body is in constant pain and I have got into a bad habit of doing crazy amount of exercise then binge eating at night as I save my calories till then. To the point I can have 3 mega meals, fit them with ease in my goal and still maintain, if not lose weight which I should no longer be doing.

    Its trying to get into the mindset 'its OK to rest/recover, I won't turn into a balloon again overnight'
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 905 Member
    Long steady dog walk to balance
    Out the huge Christmas dinner
  • squarewheels66
    squarewheels66 Posts: 25 Member
    edited December 2016
    You shouldn't be in constant pain. Combined with guilt over not exercising and what sounds like binging sound like ED territory.

    I don't see the point of exercise without a goal in mind. If you set a concrete goal (a race of some kind I'd suggest) and follow a programme to achieve the goal, hopefully your relationship with food and exercise might change - ie. become obsessional in a good way ;) You'll bee training with a purpose rather than locked in a cycle.

    I love food and consider myself a bit of a gourmet and I've always used exercise to try and out train a calorific diet and I've come pretty late to the more sensible approach of good diet first after failing to control weight year on year.

    I have very few days of total rest and definitely bank exercise cals to have a drink or two and/or a more indulgent meal. However I follow a careful plan of 80/20 easy/hard - easy is really easy HR ave 120-130 on a run or bike ride. 2 sessions of challenging (for me) but fairly pathetic lifting a week. I don't get fatigued or muscle aches/DOMS. I put this down to building it up gradually, balance between hard and easy and fuelling and refuelling sensibly.

    I have specific goals in mind - serious ski touring trips in spring and a half marathon in Feb as a subsidiary goal to prepare me for the challenges of touring.

    Hope this helps
  • derekgolding
    derekgolding Posts: 28 Member
    I am always up early and have a chronic lung problem, so I am still planning on a 10 mile walk tomorrow morning then home in time to open presents with my family. Merry Christmas to you all.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    You need to see a doctor and get some help. Stop exercising until you've seen them
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,699 Member
    I will, of course, be exercising. :)

    Hopefully a bit of cycling and probably some walking. If it is hot enough, maybe even a swim!
  • kejw08
    kejw08 Posts: 61 Member
    My normal rest day is Sunday so since x-mas happens to fall on Sunday, I will rest. If it was on any other day of the week I would workout like normal. Since you haven't had a rest day in months I highly recommend taking it off. Not because it's Christmas, but because our bodies need a break once in a while.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    Omg just rest. Why put so much energy in making the decision? I am resting on Christmas day.
  • wholenewme03
    wholenewme03 Posts: 95 Member
    Rest day. My family gets up super early to do presents (we're like little kids!) then the day is packed with family and friends. If I exercise, I'll be inconveniencing my loved ones who will have to wait for me to do a workout. That is not the point of Christmas. I'm going to enjoy the day, be thankful for all that my body can do for me, and rest easy knowing that one day is not going to make or break me.
  • miratps
    miratps Posts: 141 Member
    Thanks all for the concern, I do understand it is distorted thinking/behaviour hence why I am practically forcing myself to do nothing tomorrow but enjoy a lie in and spend time with the family eating and laughing. There will be moments of guilt but I think I need to push through.....or if I do exercise it will be a crawl around the block and that's it to the only grocery shop open!
  • miratps
    miratps Posts: 141 Member
    derekgolding wrote: »
    I am always up early and have a chronic lung problem, so I am still planning on a 10 mile walk tomorrow morning then home in time to open presents with my family. Merry Christmas to you all.

    Merry Christmas for tomorrow!

    His long does it take you to do the walk?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,622 Member
    miratps wrote: »
    Thanks all for the concern, I do understand it is distorted thinking/behaviour hence why I am practically forcing myself to do nothing tomorrow but enjoy a lie in and spend time with the family eating and laughing. There will be moments of guilt but I think I need to push through.....or if I do exercise it will be a crawl around the block and that's it to the only grocery shop open!

    Think of the rest day as a Christmas gift to your better, future self . . . then accept the gift gratefully.

    Commit in the new year to a healthier relationship with exercise and food, both of which should be a source of pleasure, not guilt, pain, excess or deprivation. As others suggest, consult a professional to help you get on a solid path - a therapist with relevant expertise is no different than a trainer at the gym, helping you achieve goals of healthy and happiness more quickly and easily.

    Merry Christmas!

    (I'm celebrating on Christmas eve, which will be a rest day and a feast. Christmas will be a quiet day at home; I may work out - haven't decided.)
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    miratps wrote: »
    So those who exercise daily/often, will you be resting on Christmas Day or will you be working out in the mornings?

    I've not had a rest day in months and am considering actually sleeping past 5 for once and not moving at all but as I've not done it for months, I am also dreading it!

    No rest day in months? :#

    In terms of days, Sunday is just another day. How you structure your activities and plans is up to you. Some open gifts the night before, some on Sunday morning. Some celebrate with a Christmas Eve dinner, some with a Christmas Day dinner. Some go to church. Some do not. Some sleep in. Some don't sleep in. Working in a scheduled routine of exercise will work for some based on their plans. For others, it won't fit in due to plans. Not everyone celebrates Christmas.

    I had a scheduled 4 hour bike ride for Sunday, but swapped it with Thursday and did the 4 hour ride on Thursday and will do a 1 1/2 - 2 hour ride on Sunday (which fits into my plans for the day).

  • ChelzFit
    ChelzFit Posts: 292 Member
    I second getting help with your disordered thinking. Speaking from experience if you continue to push yourself through exercise without adequate rest you are going to do more harm than good. I have a very hard time limiting my exercise and have learned the hard way and have had to take off months at a time from pushing myself too hard. Not taking rest can really screw with your hormones, sleep, and mood. Take a well needed rest day or even week!
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,188 Member
    Saturday is usually my rest day. But I will probably rest tomorrow too. If I do anything it will be a walk with my son and the dogs. But if he doesn't want to walk I will probably skip the walk to spend time with him. Normally, I would probably advise someone to plan a nice walk or something active later in the day, but in your case I think you should just rest. It does sound like you have some disordered thinking and I would recommend finding someone to talk to about it. Good luck and Merry Christmas!
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    miratps wrote: »
    So those who exercise daily/often, will you be resting on Christmas Day or will you be working out in the mornings?

    I've not had a rest day in months and am considering actually sleeping past 5 for once and not moving at all but as I've not done it for months, I am also dreading it!

    I don't get up at 5 AM to exercise. My light day is on Saturdays.
    I will most likely walk at least 30 minutes. If I feel like doing something more later I will. I'm not stressed about it.

  • Docbanana2002
    Docbanana2002 Posts: 357 Member
    edited December 2016
    I normally take a complete rest day (no exercise at all) about once per week, usually on whatever day I'm most in the mood to rest, plus I have some days that are lighter exercise than others. For example if I do a 8 mile run one day, I might just walk or lightly jog a couple miles the next to have some active rest. I have been a runner for a few years and have done half marathons and just competed in a 12k race, so 8 miles isn't extreme exercising for me but is a normal weekend long run when in training mode. I will probably will exercise on Christmas because it should fit in my schedule, give me some additional calories to eat, and buffer some of the stress of being with my family (ha). I'm not training for anything right now so my exercise plan is designed for being healthy and fit in general and for maintaining enough running fitness that I could decide to train for something this spring without having to restart from ground zero.

    Going for a walk or short run so I can have extra piece of pecan pie at Christmas and better cope with various family arguments about politics is one thing.... :) But constantly exercising large amounts without a rest in order to compensate for binge eating is another thing. I really think you need to reach out for help so you can try to get the eating under control and so you don't end up injuring yourself from the exercise. Google "exercise bulimia" and look for info about this condition, see if this is something you recognize in yourself.
  • fionamc74
    fionamc74 Posts: 26 Member
    I am a distance runner, and like you used to dread taking time out. I have learnt the hard way (with various injuries and burnouts), that resting is a must for both your progression in fitness and a healthy body. We all take vacations and there will be times we just can't exercise. I always take a full week off every 12 weeks now and it has always helped my progress, usually resulting in a near pb on return. It takes more than a week to undo your hard work both cardiovascular and muscular so take a break and enjoy it. The more often you take a break the easier it is to do ☺
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    My gym is closed on Christmas, so that's out, but I might go for a walk in the morning before we had out for dinner.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    Did Stronglifts this morning and will get in a 5 mile walk before all the food happens! Tomorrow will be a 10 mile fun! Merry Christmas everyone.
  • Eddie__Jones
    Eddie__Jones Posts: 197 Member
    no
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,029 Member
    It's fine to take a day off. Just like one bad day of going over calories won't disrupt consistency, neither will taking a day off.
    And don't be an all or nothing person. That's usually how people fall off and stay off.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,111 Member
    I took yesterday off to finish getting things ready. I take 1-2 days off each week. I did work out today and am planning on working out tomorrow after the festivities...if our plans run late though and I miss it I'm not worried. My main goal is to enjoy my son and step daughter. It's one day
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