working out every day? Am I doing more harm than good?

fitfor40tx

So I get up at 5:00 am to workout pretty much every day. I try to take a rest day but in all seriousness, I feel ok to workout. Do you really need a rest day if you feel ok and are not tired? I try to take off Saturday/Sunday just because we are so busy.

Thoughts? Advice?

Thanks ya'll!

kbmnurse

Whatever works for you.

TiberiusClaudis

I personally think over training is a myth. If done correctly, your body is an amazing instrument and can do a lot.

With that said, there is scientific evidence that shows that muscles tear down when you weight lift, and only get bigger when you rest them. So...you may want to switch things up a bit.

For me, I do WL in the mornings 3 days on, 1 day off. And cardio in the evenings, 4 days a week. On days where I don't have WL in the morning, I go for a brisk walk in the park. Likewise, if I don't have cardio in the evenings, I go for a brisk walk.

I've never had a problem health wise. I'm sitting at about 10% BF. So, my recommendations is you are fine, but change it up.

LeanButNotMean44

I also workout pretty much every day. Every so often I will take a rest day, but only when I feel really tired and rundown. I just listen to my body.

alpine1994

Yeah I'm with you! I work out 6-7 days per week (and I at least take a long walk with the dog or something on the "rest" day if I take one) and the main reason is so that I can sleep well. I have a hard time falling asleep if I don't exercise. So far it's been fine. I know that if I start to feel pain (different from soreness), I will ease off of it and get it checked out. I got a stress fracture on my foot when I started running because I did too much, too soon. After it healed, I alternated running and cross-training and haven't had an issue since. As long as you're feeling good and not working out with injuries, I think it's fine!

MeanderingMammal

Do you really need a rest day if you feel ok and are not tired?

Largely it depends on what training you're doing, and to what intensity.

Personally I run 4-5 times per week, cycle once o twice and do two days of resistance training. In essence no rest days but I'm doing different things, so the key systems are getting an opportunity to recover.

It's entirely possible, for example, to run every day if it's only a short distance of 2-3 miles or so, but more than that the muscle and connective tissue doesn't get an opportunity to recover, so it becomes a steady degradation over time.

53welshlady

You have said that you normally take Sat and Sun off so I would have thought that 2 rest days are adequate. I do something most days, usually have 1 day off after 5 or 6 consecutive days training, but at my age (61) I have found that I need the rest day otherwise I overdo it and don't recover properly.

crissi725

As long as you switch it up, I don't think its a bad thing at all.

Rancerox

I also agree with the other posters. As long as you switch things up to give certain muscle groups a rest, you should be fine.

I'm a big proponent of "listen to your body." If your body is too sore to work out, it will let you know.

Taking a day off to completely rest is never a bad thing as long as you know it's only one day. It's when you start taking multiple days off, the trouble begins.

And, of course, I'm talking about soreness v injury.

Kr1ptonite

Whatever works for you.

That's how I see it. Do what works for you. I train everyday. If I get run down then I have a break.

kbmnurse

Confusion. You say you usually take off Sat/Sun so they are your rest days.

BigVeggieDream

I personally think over training is a myth. If done correctly, your body is an amazing instrument and can do a lot.

I don't completely agree with this. A few weeks ago I injured my foot and the doc called it an "overuse injury". Perhaps it was how I was exercising, I don't know. But there might be a possibility of over training, particularly when just starting out. One may have to work up to a level to be working out 6/7 days a week.

Chihiro77

Confusion. You say you usually take off Sat/Sun so they are your rest days.

She said he tries, not that she does.

neandermagnon

it depends on what kind of workout it is. If it's low to moderate intensity cardio then you can work out every day, so long as you're happy to do so and don't feel the need to take a rest day. Most cases of overtraining in people who do cardio are actually caused by undereating (I've seen research papers on this when I was at uni... the athletes in question stopped suffering from overtraining symptoms when they ate more food) - the main thing with cardio is how you feel... if you're starting to feel run down or that you're not recovering well, try increasing your calorie intake and/or having a rest day here and there.

if you're doing weight training then you do need to give each muscle group a full rest day before working it out again. Which means if you're doing a whole body routine you shouldn't do that on two consecutive days... but if you're doing a split routine then you can, but not the same muscle groups on consecutive days. If you're not recovering properly from weight training, you're not getting the full benefit of the exercise, even if you're not feeling run down (although if you're weight training repeatedly on consecutive days and feel fine then the weights are too light and in that case there's no benefit to it)

kateangel2312

I've noticed a change in my muscles for the better since I started resting days. I walk on resting days or do stability ball

DavPul

Impossible to answer without knowing what you do and your general level of fitness

No_Finish_Line

Do you really need a rest day if you feel ok and are not tired?

Largely it depends on what training you're doing, and to what intensity.

Personally I run 4-5 times per week, cycle once o twice and do two days of resistance training. In essence no rest days but I'm doing different things, so the key systems are getting an opportunity to recover.

It's entirely possible, for example, to run every day if it's only a short distance of 2-3 miles or so, but more than that the muscle and connective tissue doesn't get an opportunity to recover, so it becomes a steady degradation over time.

this is a good answer

martyqueen52

It's fine.

But, I really suggest at least taking a Sunday to REST.

As long as you don't feel cramps, pain, soreness you're fine working out daily.



Or like Kate said... on rest days just WALK. I workout M-W-F ,but, I workout with heavy *kitten* weights... 400+lb deads and squats and take T-Thurs and the weekend to recover. On those days if it's not raining I walk my two dogs about 3 miles at my local park. Then I marinate the rest of the day on the couch .... watching movies / playing games / etc.

I use the weekends to catch up on stuff I LIKE.

chivalryder

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overtraining

I've seen it happen more than once. It's real, and it's nasty.

That being said, it's only a big deal if you really push yourself when you exercise, or exercise for long periods of time. If you, say, go for a walk with your dog as your exercise one day, as long as you're not jogging/running/sprinting, that not enough to be classified as strong exercise (unless you're out of shape). If you take it easy once/twice every week, you should be fine. I wouldn't worry about it.

Edit to add:

I once read a great article on the difference between how professional athletes train and how amateur athletes train: Professionals know how to take it easy. When they're taking a rest day, which they do frequently, they literally do NOTHING. they just veg all day. It's tough, but it's the best thing you can do to make yourself perform better. Also, when you're take it easy, like say a cyclist, they're just going on a leisurely cruise down the road. No high efforts at all. Then, when they're actually training, they give it the beans and really, really push themselves.

Amateurs tend to push themselves all the time. Not as much as a pro (partially because they don't recover as well), and they don't give themselves adequate time to recover.

That all being said, it is a generalization. YMMV. I'm also not suggesting you're an athlete or that you want to be. It's just food for thought.

fitfor40tx

Sorry y'all, guess I should be clear on what I do for workouts -

Mon - 45 minCardio - arms/abs
Tues - 45 min cardio - legs/abs
Weds - a class of some sort - tonight is body sculpt (abs)
Thurs - 60 min cardio
Friday - boot camp - 90 minutes
Saturday - Zumba
Sunday - 45 min. cardio - arms/abs

I use 8 or 10 pound dumbbells and kettle bells for my weight workouts.

MeanderingMammal

By cardio do you mean hamster wheeling on some generic torture device indoors, or something more interesting?