Are rest days necessary?

mommadearest3
mommadearest3 Posts: 27 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just started to get back into working out after being a slacker for 2 years. I just want to know everyone's thoughts on rest day? I'm doing T25, and my rest day is tomorrow, but I feel like I don't want to skip a day. Would it be terrible if I changed it up and did yoga or something?

Replies

  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    I tend to do what some call active rest days - and practice tai chi.

    Just don't over-do it. Yes, you can over-do tai chi - I teach 3-4 lessons in a go sometimes and my thighs and glutes ache like it's legs day. :laugh:
  • Mariachicat
    Mariachicat Posts: 311 Member
    I don't take prescheduled rest days but I wait until I have days where I absolutely can't work out, like if I have to travel or something.
  • fivethreeone
    fivethreeone Posts: 8,196 Member
    Would you be okay without it tomorrow? Probably. But rest is an important part of any training program and crucial to keep you from crashing and burning in the long run.


    Think of it this way: the schedule calls for rest tomorrow. If you don't rest, THAT will be skipping a day.
  • rhina23
    rhina23 Posts: 212 Member
    I dont want to rest either.
    But, not to get bored with the same routine, i try to do something else.
    I might do some dancing to the tune of Happy for 15 mins or maybe 15 mins zumba abs.

    Just something else other than what i normally do ( taebo) .
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    Would you be okay without it tomorrow? Probably. But rest is an important part of any training program and crucial to keep you from crashing and burning in the long run.


    Think of it this way: the schedule calls for rest tomorrow. If you don't rest, THAT will be skipping a day.

    This. Rest days are when your muscles really get a chance to repair and rebuild, increasing endurance and strength. Will you get those without a rest day? Yes but not nearly what you would get otherwise. However, you can do an active rest day. I walk on the days that I'm not lifting heavy or working on my run mileage. Since it's not taxing the muscles in the ways that your program does, you'll still get the rest you need without harming your fitness gains.
  • zcb94
    zcb94 Posts: 3,678 Member
    I don't take prescheduled rest days but I wait until I have days where I absolutely can't work out, like if I have to travel or something.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    If you aren't working out hard enough to require a rest day- it's time to reevaulate your program and what you want out of it.

    I never realized how much I needed rest days till I started lifting on a program- it caught up really quickly- I was okay on my own with my rest days as it was- but when I got serious about training- guess what- my rest days became imperative.

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