How often do you work out?

sshintaku

Lately, I have been working out 7 days a week. My workouts are not super intense - yoga classes, 2-3 mile run, 30 day shred, etc, but I keep hearing about the importance of a "rest day." This I can understand if you're doing very intense workouts or heavy lifting, but what about just moderate cardio and strength?

How often, and how hard, do you work out?

youmnahm96

I'll bump this because I actually struggle with this question as well

freddi11e

bump... also kinda curious, if you happen to miss a few days, how long until your body goes back to as if you had never worked out at all? like how often must you work out in order to maintain definition? I started working out, and then had to take a week off and I don't know if it was just my perception or what, but I swear my body went back to normal

prima073

Hello! I work out three to four times a week pretty hard, at least until my t- shirt is soaking wet and I've had a steady drop in weight over he last seven and a half months of between one and three pounds a week. :-)

navyrigger46

4-5 times a week. Currently I lift three days a week for 45-50 minutes, then 15-30 minutes of cardio after that. I also play basketball twice a week for 1-2 hours.

Rigger

Sreneesa

4-5x a week.

scottjoh

5 times a week rain or shine.

Marymoe138

5-6 times a week. I walk/run everyday for about an hour and have started incorporating weights 3 times a week @ 45/60 minutes a day.

tyrsnbdr

My work out cycle an 8 day routine with days 4 and 8 as rest days.

Rest days doesn't = laying in your bed all day and doing nothing. I would qualify yoga as an active rest activity.* So, an easy jog (at talking pace) + an arobics DVD shouldn't stress your body too much.

@Freddi - depends on how long you've been working out in the first place. Your muscles will lose that "pumped" look, but can easyily recovered.




* as long as its not yogafit with that arobics instructor on speed.

geeberscreepers

At the moment I am at a point of such despair because I have gained so much weight that I work out every day, I am desperate to lose the weight as soon as possible because at the moment I only leave the house for work and the gym/runs/cycling... I am too embarrassed to be in social situations at my size.

skullshank

6 days a week.
5-day split with a bonus leg day.

MinimalistShoeAddict

I work out 7 days a week (run 7 days, lift weights 2-3 days and cross train 1-2 days)

I consider it a "rest day" when I only run a few miles at an easy pace with no other exercise.

jamd95

I go 4-5 times a week and one week out of every two months I rest to give my muscles time to recover fully

Devasation

Doing P90X2: 5 days a week, about an hour a day.

_Resolve_

6 days a week, I rest on Sundays.

cwolfman13

bump... also kinda curious, if you happen to miss a few days, how long until your body goes back to as if you had never worked out at all? like how often must you work out in order to maintain definition? I started working out, and then had to take a week off and I don't know if it was just my perception or what, but I swear my body went back to normal

no, that's not how it happens...I take a rest week every 4-5 weeks where I don't really do much besides walk and I'm fit as fiddle...

To the OP's question, your required rest is going to have pretty much everything to do with the intensity of your workouts. If you're weight training for example, you don't want to work the same muscle/muscle group on consecutive days as this would pretty much defeat the benefits of your workout considering the magic happens with rest...you also wouldn't want to do anything else that would potentially interfere with that recovery.

It would also largely depend on your fitness goals. Right now for example, I'm training for a 1/2 Century and a Metric Century ride...so I'm on my bike 5 days per week and only lifting 2x weekly due to recovery issues. I have two rest days currently per week...note that a rest day doesn't mean you do jack ****...a rest day for me will generally consist of a nice walk and some recovery yoga. Right now my weeks look as follows...

Monday - Rest (usually walk a few miles at lunch and do a little restorative yoga in the evening)

Tuesday - 60 minute EZ paced ride in the AM or lunch break (generally just at a warmup/cool down pace); Full body lifting in the evening

Wednesday - 60 minute steady paced ride (I try to stay around 95-100 RPM)

Thursday - 60 minute steady paced ride AM or lunch; Full body lifting in the evening

Friday - Rest (usually just a walk at lunch)

Saturday - Hard spinning; some body weight muscular endurance work afterwards.

Sunday - Long ride (gets progressively longer each week)

Briargrey

4-6 times a week - cardio on all those days, yoga on 2-4 of them, lifting on 3 of them. Some days harder than others. I started out at 3 times per week super easy though. So it's going to all vary depending on your level of fitness, time, etc. I would guess that skipping a few days here and there isn't going to set you way back.

whitebalance

I'm still trying to figure out what I can do without setting myself up for another injury. Right now it's something like weights full body 2x/week, Pilates mat 2x/week, Krav Maga 1-2x/week - plus walking average 3-8 miles/day and an occasional half hour to hour and a half of rowing or treadmill running if I'm way over on calories that day. The weights and running are both VERY light at present since that's how I injured myself. I need a full rest day right before a weights day, but am finding the Pilates sequence is a good warmup for lifting. I usually have one or two days a week of doing practically nothing, not even much walking.

My Achilles' heel is sleep - I don't get enough of it, so recovery takes longer. YMMV depending on food, sleep, age, et cetera. I'm learning to slow things down, but fighting that every step of the way. :grumble:

ETA response to this...

bump... also kinda curious, if you happen to miss a few days, how long until your body goes back to as if you had never worked out at all? like how often must you work out in order to maintain definition? I started working out, and then had to take a week off and I don't know if it was just my perception or what, but I swear my body went back to normal

You're probably seeing what some people call "pump" when you work out regularly - muscles slightly swollen with glycogen - and missing that effect after a few days of inactivity. That kind of "definition" is temporary. You're not losing strength or mass by not working out for a week.

psych101

I workout about 6 days a week - I lift 3 days and run the others. Sometimes I feel like a rest day so I take one. Every couple of months I take a week off and do nothing apart from walking. I try not to have a strict schedule cos its just me living my life and if I feel like a rest day then I'll take one

yogicarl

Ashtanga Yoga session every day, full progressive calisthenics session twice a week and two swim sessions per week.

My rest day is going for a more relaxing swim than usual pace, or doing the yoga only.

wshultz14

At present I work out every other day... My exercise bike is currently broken, and this hinders me a bit, as I have issue's with my feet and knees.

robowolfmega1986

Personally I run 5 days a week, and generally long runs that are between 3 - 9 miles. I would consider a rest day if my body felt taxed. In other words, if your body feels fatigued or physically unwilling to support your mental push to exercise. Pushing a body too hard will increase ligament and muscle tears and increase your percentage of a broken down immune system prone to sickness. However, if all you are doing is easy to moderate exercise, then you should not have a problem as long as you don't get too worn out. Results vary with the person, and I personally need two days off due to heavy workload from my job in addition to the running I do. I walk alot in my job. Does this help at all?

sshintaku

Personally I run 5 days a week, and generally long runs that are between 3 - 9 miles. I would consider a rest day if my body felt taxed. In other words, if your body feels fatigued or physically unwilling to support your mental push to exercise. Pushing a body too hard will increase ligament and muscle tears and increase your percentage of a broken down immune system prone to sickness. However, if all you are doing is easy to moderate exercise, then you should not have a problem as long as you don't get too worn out. Results vary with the person, and I personally need two days off due to heavy workload from my job in addition to the running I do. I walk alot in my job. Does this help at all?

Ok yes. I'll typically just do a short jog or long walk on those days I just feel like dying. I'm on my feet walking all day for my job but I don't really feel like that's exercise per say.

You guys definitely made me feel less insane for wanting to get at least a small workout in every day.

aquarabbit

I workout 6 days a week with one rest day. I workout pretty intensely I'd say. Cardio in the mornings for 1/2 an hour (regular cardio 4 days a week with 2 HIITS a week) then 1/2 an hour of strength training at night with heavy weights. I really try to put my all in and it's easier for me to do that when it's a shorter workout session (no need to pace myself!) I tried skipping my rest day for a while, but for me personally, I didn't see as quick or as good of results. I also try to add an extra 10 minute stretch session at the end of my PM workouts focusing on the areas where I get tight (lower back and hips). I've played around with things to know that I can easily keep up with this schedule and it doesn't wear me out. Maybe you don't feel like you need a full rest day, but maybe an extra long stretching session or something relaxing that keeps you loose. Even on my rest days I'll stretch or do squats during commercials or something! You're not insane.

littleburgy

5-6 days a week.

lavenderbud

Hard to believe you're overweight. You look slim from the photograph.

malibu927

5-6 days. I took yesterday off due to exhaustion and today due to a weird work schedule, so back to it tomorrow

kimosabe1

every other day-

jenilla1

Average about 3-4 days a week. I'm lazy. I do less than this in the winter because I'm demotivated by cold and dark. I do more than that in the spring.

Scarlettem86

I work out 6 days a week.
I lift 6 days a week.
I do cardio about 3 days a week.
And I push myself as hard as I can every time. There is no point in going to the gym to do a half-assed work out.
The healthier you eat, the stronger and faster your muscle recover, the less rest days you need. I do think that everyone should take 1 rest day a week though. But if you are training to compete, thats usually a whole different story :-)

JazminGowdy

I work out 5-6 days a week, but since I am focusing on maintaining at the moment, my workouts are not too intense.