Exercise every day?

Dawn810511

So here's my small dilemma. I know how I am, I've done this too many times before and did not succeed (sticking to exercising that is). I've heard so many different things about exercising every day. Some people believe in rest days and that's great, but that doesn't work for me. So I've been doing a small workout on my rest days like a 5 minute ab workout or last night I did an 8 minute butt workout. Then the rest of the days I will do Jillian Michaels 30 day shred workout. I wanna hear what you guys think. Is this too much? Do I seriously need a rest day where I don't do any workouts at all?

JoolieW68

It really depends on what you want to accomplish, how quickly you want to accomplish it, and if it's something you can keep up once you've met your goal.

For me, I was running nearly every day, 3+ miles, plus weights and calisthenics. I looked GREAT! But that wasn't a level of exercise I wanted to keep doing (I was also a little too skinny, IMO). I wound up quitting everything.... and unfortunately I gained 20 lbs.

So now I'm going about it a little different.... not so much 'gung-ho' in order to slowing get close to where I was.

AllanMisner

Rest and recovery is necessary. But the amount of rest varies from person to person and varies based on how hard the exercise is (relative to the fitness level of the persone). It is completely ok to do an active rest day, just don't overdo it. Hard workouts increase stress, stress causes the body to create more cortisol, which is catabolic (eats muscle). If you get into an overstressed mode, you risk losing muscle (that you worked hard on the other six days) and retaining more fat. Listen to your body, it knows best.

lukeosb

An important part of exercise is recovery, i made that mistake racing over the summer and overtrained, took 2-3 weeks of rest to start feeling fit again. If your doing cardio take a couple of days off in the week to actually allow the improvement to happen. Its fine to exercise everyday as long as your not taxing the same muscles everyday of the week, so abs one day and running the next for example is fine

wilsoje74

So here's my small dilemma. I know how I am, I've done this too many times before and did not succeed (sticking to exercising that is). I've heard so many different things about exercising every day. Some people believe in rest days and that's great, but that doesn't work for me. So I've been doing a small workout on my rest days like a 5 minute ab workout or last night I did an 8 minute butt workout. Then the rest of the days I will do Jillian Michaels 30 day shred workout. I wanna hear what you guys think. Is this too much? Do I seriously need a rest day where I don't do any workouts at all?

I would still consider it a rest day if all you are doing is a 5 or 8 min workout.

MostlyWater

A rest day doesn't mean lie on the couch. You can certainly stretch and do walking.

eldamiano

You can do exercise every day but you risk burnout and injury, depending on what you do. If you are adding an element of intensity then your performance will most inevitably drop without rest day. If you dont care about performance are doing something which will not really work your joints and muscles then fair enough. A 5 min ab workout though seems slightly intense. Your muscles tear from working out and take time to heal.

stroutman81

Some good commentary from everyone above.

I'll also add that recovery ability is blunted while dieting. Put different, the act of creating a calorie deficit is, itself, a stress.

Another factor that many people don't consider is recovery ability adapts to training. I did bouts of programming where I lifted weights 7 days per week in some form or fashion. But I built up to that work capacity in a logical progression. I ate right for it. And I paid attention to variables that signify overtreaching and overtraining.

All of that said, nobody here is going to be able to tell you whether the dose of exercise you're considering is "too much" or not. It depends on too many variables. You can try it and see what becomes of it... that's the nature of fat loss. It's a process of trial and error.

If you're working out daily though, I will say that it's my opinion you shouldn't cut calories too terribly deep.

I've been training people a long time and one thing I can say for certain is trying to beat your body into submission rarely works. But training everyday =/= beating your body into submission necessarily... it's very context specific.

Huffdogg

How frequently you can train depends entirely on the way your training is designed. Lots of olympic weightlifters train every day, sometimes twice a day. Their diet and recovery is designed to work that way, however.

I'm currently squatting and pressing heavy singles 5-7 days a week. I've experienced no increase in muscle soreness, no decline in performance, less joint pain, and stable weight. It's all a matter of program design.

knra_grl

I'm no expert but whatever I have read says to have a day of rest but if you want to do 7 days per week you can alternate upper body one day lower body the next. Usually abs can be done 6 days per week. Do cardio 6 days a week and make your plan so you are doing something every day. Also as others have stated it would depend on the results you want to achieve. People who are hard core are usually training for something specific and set up a program to maximize results.

Again not an expert just reading what the experts say

cafeaulait7

I do best if I assume I'll work out every day. It's just better for my scheduling/motivation. But it'll be active rest depending on what I did the day before. I like Hatha yoga for active rest days.

I end up taking a bunch of rest days, though, for various reasons, so that's another reason I don't need a real scheduled one! My body can always use at least the yoga, believe me

LaurenAOK

A rest day doesn't mean lie on the couch. You can certainly stretch and do walking.

I agree with this. I live in the city so even on my rest days I walk around a lot (I try to keep it at a slow pace, though). But rest and recovery IS extremely important for your body. I really wouldn't recommend doing any sort of "workout", even a short one, on your rest days.

Yoga is great for rest days as well.

1princesswarrior

I work around horses so there is no such thing as a rest day. That being said, this week in the cold I was stranded in my house and could not physically get to the barn so I had two forced rest days (no car, no heat, no tv) and I lost 2 lbs just eating at a deficit. I know it's anecdotal evidence and barn work is a different beast because you never know from one day to the next how hard you will work (i.e. how many buckets will freeze, how much the horses will drink, how many horses will try to drag you around, etc.). Today will be mostly cardio because I am riding and lunging my horse so I only have to clean his stall since it's my day off.

So I think it depends on the rest day and your physical activity. When I am lifting 3 days a week in addition to barn work I try to find a rest day but usually I just make one or I will drop.

I guess my point is that if you don't feel too tired or like you need a rest day then don't take one but if you need one then take one.

KANGOOJUMPS

no rest day for me
i do 2 to 3 hours cardio a day, 7 days a week,.

aelphabawest

"Rest day" does not have to = sit on your butt in front of the television day. I run and cross train regularly, and I do take rest days, but a rest day for me is... yoga, or walking to work. I still exercise, just on a less intense level.
The key is really to figure out what works for your mind and body.

I'd run every day if I could, but my knees wouldn't like that. So I'm usually working out 6 days a week - running 3-4 days, cross training 2-3 days, with one rest day (usually the day after my long run) that I try to fit yoga into.

sweetpea03b

I think it depends on what you're doing. I do New Rules of Lifting for Women.... because I'm doing heavy lifting I only do that 3x/week... but on my "off days" i'll occasionally do some cardio... a run... a walk... aerobics so long as it doesn't interfere with my muscle recovery.

mumblemagic

The NHS C25K programme actually recommends you do their strength and flex programme on the non-running days, so you alternate. Personally I think do hard cardio one day, then do something relaxing like walking, yoga, pilates, etc. the next, and give yourself a complete day off once per week. That's my plan anyway!

Edit:

no rest day for me
i do 2 to 3 hours cardio a day, 7 days a week,.

#$@*! How do you find the time!

Mr_Knight

Is this too much?

No, it is not too much.

It's not even a planet in the vicinity of Galaxy Too Much.

We seem to have gotten a very poor understanding of what our bodies are capable of. Once you've build up to it, a "rest" day can be something like a fast 5k run or a solid hour cycling 25km.