Do I really need a day of REST?

rebekahrice1234

I have only been working out for 5 days and I have definility pushed to the point of being sore, my husband tells me I need to rest a day, but I am scared if I don't keep going I will get lazy like I have done so many times in the past... My mind and body tell me to move but, I surely don't want to regret it by hurting myself. What do you think???

mydeloo78

If you are doing strenuous lifting yes you need a day of rest. Strength gains are when you allow the muscle to recover. This being said you can actively rest, so go for a light walk or swim, nothing too strenuous. Just because you have a rest day doesn't mean you have to sit on your a** all day.

hecham

I agree- a rest day does not mean you can't do ANY physical activity. I would go crazy! My "rest" days usually consist of a long walk or Frisbee at the park with my dog.

Freyja2023

Yes rest days are important to give you and your body to rest, if not you will burn out and hate your workout.

LoraF83

You definitely need to rest.

1 to 2 days a week. It's important - rest is when your muscles repair themselves.

jbruced

A little story along the lines of what mydeloo78 said. An older man was shoveling corn grain with a large grain
grain shovel. Every so often he would switch to a smaller flat bladed shovel for 10 minutes wwithout stopping.
A younger worker at the grain mill asked him why he did that. The older man replied, " That's when I'm taking a
rest"

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

If you're doing full body you need some rest days but if your on a split you could get away with no rest days. I'd still recommend one day a week of cardio only or rest.

Spartan_Maker

In my view, no, you don't need a day of rest. Rather than be a slave to general bromides, trust your intuition and body. When exercise goes from producing "eustress" to "distress," that's when you know it's time to slow down and rest.

There are 6.7 billion of us; we don't all have the same parents, body compositions, athletic backgrounds, psychological profile, hormonal profile, nutritional protocols, medical histories, work demands, family demands etc. There is an ocean of difference between us. Trust your System 1 thinking.

pineygirl

I usually take 1-2 rest days between lifting, but do cardio on those rest days. If I do take a rest day from intentional exercise all together it's usually because I've had a very active day (really busy day at work, gardening, yardwork, etc).

I think rest days are more important for strength training than they are for cardio.

Phaedra2014

Some weeks I work out every day, others less days. I don't stress over it. Things get messed up when mindf**k takes over.

tenintwenty

I have gone months and years without rest days. They are optimal, but not absolutely necessary.

Cr01502

I usually take a rest day 1-2 days a week.

kitinboots

I take 2 days per week as rest days. That doesn't mean I sit on my butt and do nothing, my rest days are my longest work days. I have a 10 hour work day and a 16-18 hour workday where I'm on my feet and active, but not exercising.
Active rest is great for you, if you're not on your feet at work all day like me, you can practise some yoga, go for a walk, discover your city by foot for the day.
Taking a break also helps prevent exercise from becoming a chore.

escapeartist90210

No rest equals crappy results, just relax and take it easy.

aloranger7708

I agree with other posters.... you should take a rest day or two from heavy activity. Doesn't mean you can't go swimming or take a long walk!

DavPul

If you can't take a single rest day without fear of becoming lazy and ditching your entire program, that's a real problem. Surely you're not planning on working out 7 days per week for the rest of your natural life, are you? Learn to enjoy your rest days.

CoachDreesTraining

I have only been working out for 5 days and I have definility pushed to the point of being sore, my husband tells me I need to rest a day, but I am scared if I don't keep going I will get lazy like I have done so many times in the past... My mind and body tell me to move but, I surely don't want to regret it by hurting myself. What do you think???

Rest days are important, but that doesn't means there is a set rule for how many days you can workout in a row. It completely dependent on your workout program, your body, and your nutrition.

Look up 'General Adaptation Syndrome.'

I wrote an article on overtraining, but the fun police say I can't post it. If you'd like to read it PM me.

dwh77tx

YES!!! Take a rest day. I didn't for a long period of time and my body revolted and I lost my period. REST!

vcancel

I do cardio 6 days a week and take Sunday's off so I can food shop, get chores done, etc. I strength train M-W-F.

It's not an all or nothing type of thing. The idea is to be more active in your normal lifestyle. Talk a walk, go to the park, go to the mall, whatever... just have fun!!

If you're sore, you may want to take an extra day off of lifting.

Best of luck to you!!

neandermagnon

If you are doing strenuous lifting yes you need a day of rest. Strength gains are when you allow the muscle to recover. This being said you can actively rest, so go for a light walk or swim, nothing too strenuous. Just because you have a rest day doesn't mean you have to sit on your a** all day.

^^^ this

light cardio will not interfere with muscle recovery.

also, if you're worried about going off schedule, then make scheduled rest days (or schedule light cardio like walking on those days) then your rest day is part of your schedule

Confuzzled4ever

I exercise almost everyday. I rest when my body tells me i need too. Sometimes i just do a class, sometimes just weights, sometimes just cardio or swimming. Other days I do two or three of those things.. But.. if I feel like i need to sit on my butt all day, then I do.. it's healthy occasionally. Exercise is my stress relief, my outlet for frustration.. it keeps me calm so I exercise a lot. LOL