Rest days?

christa0130

How often should I be taking a rest day? Once a week? Twice a week?

DevoteeofIset

There is a science to this and lots of theories.... when i did lifting, i did rest days. When i did cardio it depended, on how hard i did and then i still liked to get yoga/ walking/ tai chi etc in just to keep momentum but 1-2 is good in my opinion

spiffychick85

The program I'm following is 6 days of exercise to 1 rest day...now I'm not sure how I feel about being completely without exercise on my rest day...so I will see how I feel...maybe I will throw in some yoga or deep stretching!

DeeDeeMee

I think it depends on what kind of exercise you're doing, and how you classify a 'rest' day.

If you're going hard core on strength exercises or heavy duty cardio then a day or two where you walk or do some yoga and relax a bit would certainly be on the cards.

If you're walking for an hour a day and talking about a 'rest' day as one where you don't move from in front of the TV then I'd say that probably doesn't count.

If you're working with a doctor or personal trainer then you should go with what they recommend is the best thing for you.

birdiecs

It depends on what type of workout you're doing. When all I was doing was cardio I only took one day off every so often. I found out that my body didn't like that and I started to get burnt out. Now I make sure to get at least one rest day a week, if not two. Especially since I've started lifting.

christa0130

I just started working out again on Monday. I feel guilty for wanting to take a day of "rest" and not working out today but my hams are killing me. I've been doing the 30 Day Shred and some Zumba. Today, I plan to sit out at least the 30 Day Shred as the squats are out of the question. I'm Okay once I'm up and moving or already seated but it hurts really badly to sit down. LOL. I still plan on being active and stay moving most of the day with cleaning and playing with the kids but taking a day from the actual work outs. Tomorrow, I start going to a gym!

Pandora_King

I take one once a month.

tristaj90

I think it depends on what kind of exercise you're doing, and how you classify a 'rest' day.

If you're going hard core on strength exercises or heavy duty cardio then a day or two where you walk or do some yoga and relax a bit would certainly be on the cards.

If you're walking for an hour a day and talking about a 'rest' day as one where you don't move from in front of the TV then I'd say that probably doesn't count.

If you're working with a doctor or personal trainer then you should go with what they recommend is the best thing for you.

I would agree with this

If you're doing light workouts all week I don't see you needing a rest day at all. Keep going 7days a week. But if you're weight lifing 2-3 times a week and doing intense cardio the other days, then light walking/yoga/etc would be a good idea at least once a week. Not called "rest" days but "recovery" days.

Krista916

I take them when I feel like I need them. Nothing really set in stone and it changes from week to week.

bf43005

Rest day = I can't lift my arms or walk down the stairs like a normal person. LOL! Seriously though after a heavy lifting day I usually try to do some cardio the first day after and then take the second day after for rest. Nothing scientific about it, just how my body feels.

Sabine_Stroehm

From concerted exercise? About once a week. But I still try to get out for a walk, and get my 10,000 steps in.

Capt_Apollo

you should allow about 24-48 hours to rest muscle groups.

kiekie33

I take 1 a week maybe 2 it depends. But my normal routine is an hour a day 50% cardio 50% weight training

Capt_Apollo

I take one once a month, the first day of my rag.

gross

ckspores1018

I run and walk to cross train, and I take 2 rest days a week. Maybe a third if I'm really tired or sore. I think it is silly to push myself if I'm tired and miserable. The quality of my workout will be awful and it will probably impact my energy level for the next day, too.

So, I listen to my body. It knows when it needs to rest.

christa0130

Rest day = I can't lift my arms or walk down the stairs like a normal person. LOL! Seriously though after a heavy lifting day I usually try to do some cardio the first day after and then take the second day after for rest. Nothing scientific about it, just how my body feels.

Haha! This EXACTLY! I feel great but I'm walking funning and cannot do squats today! But I'm definitely staying active!

christa0130

I take one once a month, the first day of my rag.

gross

My thoughts also. >.<

Sabine_Stroehm

I take one once a month, the first day of my rag.

gross

My thoughts also. >.<

I cringed a bit myself.

terizius

Rest (recovery) days are to allow your muscles time to recover.. from intense cardio or weight lifting. It gives the muscles a chance to repair themselves after you tear them down. If you are only doing light to moderate cardio, you typically won't need these recovery days since you aren't causing those microscopic tears in your muscles. Its called cardio because it works your cardio-respiratory system.. not really your muscles (despite using your muscles for the exercise). That being said, always listen to your body. If you feel soreness, take it easy for a day or two. If you feel "pain", as in you pulled something, its better to avoid that body part until it heals fully.