Should I take a full week's break from exercise?

fangmouse

I've been exercising pretty vigorously for the past 3 months (7 days a week of long distance running or fartleks or strength training daily) however, this week I just can't bring myself to run more than 100m or move and it really affected me. I don't know if I've over trained but I feel like I should take a break so that when hockey training starts next week, I'll be able to train hard and not feel like dying. My body is telling me to rest but my mind and heart tells me to push on and I'm afraid I'll gain weight if I don't exercise for a week. I don't want that. I'm eating less than when I exercise but the lack of activity makes me feel useless but when I actually try to force myself to run or strength train, I just get so exhausted that I can't seem to run or lift at all.

For the past few days, all I've been doing is walking for about an hour or so (totals about 3km). I still feel useless doing that. I don't know what I should do.

Have any of you taken a week's break from exercise before? How was your experience with that? Did you feel the same as I did?

iNkedFiTmama

I took a week off last spring for a vacation. It sounds like you might need it. Just remind yourself of the big picture and how much better and efficient you will feel after some days off.

TavistockToad

rest is important, you will see better results if you include rest in your routine...

sounds like over training to me, especially if you are not fueling your workouts properly...

if you feel that you 'cant' rest then you need to look at the bigger picture, as that is not a healthy realtionship with exercise.

halleymw

Lots of people recommend taking either a complete break or else cut way back periodically. Pull up a chair and fire up that netflix account and watch Breaking Bad- you've earned it!
Mike

edwardkim85

I've been exercising pretty vigorously for the past 3 months (7 days a week of long distance running or fartleks or strength training daily) however, this week I just can't bring myself to run more than 100m or move and it really affected me. I don't know if I've over trained but I feel like I should take a break so that when hockey training starts next week, I'll be able to train hard and not feel like dying. My body is telling me to rest but my mind and heart tells me to push on and I'm afraid I'll gain weight if I don't exercise for a week. I don't want that. I'm eating less than when I exercise but the lack of activity makes me feel useless but when I actually try to force myself to run or strength train, I just get so exhausted that I can't seem to run or lift at all.

For the past few days, all I've been doing is walking for about an hour or so (totals about 3km). I still feel useless doing that. I don't know what I should do.

Have any of you taken a week's break from exercise before? How was your experience with that? Did you feel the same as I did?

Can you keep up with what you're doing(7 days a week) for the rest of your life?

If the answer is no, then take a week off.

msf74

Yes, take a week off and keep a small to zero calorie deficit in that time. You have not so much over trained as over reached.

Also learn how to periodise your training or get a decent routine where this is built in for you. Your fitness results will be a lot better for it.

RunnerElizabeth

Yup over training. You may feel better with a week off. I'd also advise1 day off a week. You don't have to do literally nothing on the day off, just no running or heavy lifting. Yoga and walking are ok.

I run 6 days a week. I don't do heavy lifting, but I do bodyweight strength training for an additional 2 or 3 hours a week. I add my strength to run days. On my day off I still have to walk bare minimum 3 miles to exist (often more like 5-8) but it's ok. This works for me.

fangmouse

Okay I'm back from my break and here's what came out of the one week break. It wasn't a complete break because I still went for a walk for an hour daily but nothing vigorous like running or strength training or anything like that.I was just walking at a normal speed (not strolling) from monday to saturday. I did a light 2 mile run on sunday because I felt like it. On monday to saturday, I thought of exercising but when I tried to do any form of running, my body would rebel and I won't get further than 30 metres without giving up and just walking. Therefore, after getting the advice of you lovely people, I decided to just take it easy and kind of cross train a little with just light walking and to be perfectly honest, when I started running on sunday, I felt rejuvenated and I just loved the run. However, I still treated it as a rest day kind of because it was just a transition back to my normal routine.

On monday I cycled a little but didn't have time to really do a workout so today, I decided to challenge myself and run further. To be honest, I was quite shocked. For the past few weeks, the distance that I was able to run had been getting shorter and shorter before I gave up (hence the rest week). I was running practically daily with body weight training then. Today, I ran at one of my faster paces and I managed to run over 7 km which is a huge deal for me because I've never gone that far before (please don't laugh at me I only started running last august where I could barely run 200 metres without giving up. I've come a long way and I do plan to run half a marathon. That is my goal for next year maybe. This year I'm aiming for 10 - 15 km).

I'm so glad I did the rest week. I hope I'll be able to run much further now! Thank you everyone for your help!

ElliottTN

Do some research on a thing called deload weeks. They are very usefull and highly recommended. It may save you from being in a rut where you do nothing for weeks before your body is ready again.

eldamiano

Since starting running properly around 15 months ago, I have only taken a week off twice, once because of a hamstring pull, and then just before last Christmas as I ran a marathon on 22nd Dec.

When i go running, I pretty much always give myself a plan or target of what I am going to run. However, I always take into account that sometimes I just am not going to have the motivation to do it. So for example I stop after 5 miles into a 10k run. It doesnt bother me. These things are to be expected. Allow that to happen and things dont get so difficult.

However, nothing wrong with taking time off if your heart isnt in it.

TavistockToad

i hope you're goign to add a rest day to your weekly routine from now on!