Are rest days essential?

WildcatMom82

I'm 10 weeks into Turbo Fire, 19 if you count the prep schedule I did first, and the calendar gives you one rest day a week. Since the weather has gotten nice I've been using my rest day for a long run (when I run on Turbo days it's usually only 2-3 miles and I still want to work on distance). Maybe once or twice a month I'll be too sore or tired and will take the day off, should I make an effort to do it more often?

WhaddoWino

Great question! I always feel guilty and restless when I take a rest day. I need to remind myself that it's an essential part of my fitness progression. Here's a good article that helps explain the necessity:
http://fitnessista.com/2011/08/focus-on-rest-days/

runfreddyrun

you absolutely need at least one rest day a week. some recommend taking two. i would imagine that it's okay to walk on your rest day but i would recommend not running, especially a long distance.

castelluzzo99

I have one rest day because of my religion. However, I don't feel that a leisurely walk (2.5 to 3 mph) counts. Today was my rest day, but I started the morning before anyone else was up with a walk down the hill and back up (1 mile total). I didn't time myself, but I didn't push myself to walk fast. I just walked, enjoyed the fresh air and lack of traffic (at 6:30 on a Saturday morning in the country--yay! no traffic!). Then I showered and started my day. It felt so much better than if I had just laid around for half an hour and read (what I probably would have done otherwise).

You know, you could always rearrange your days. Day one doesn't have to be on Sunday or Monday. It can be on Wednesday or Friday. If you can take off a weekday as a rest day (and sleep in a bit!) and have what is currently your rest day be one of your running days, then you've got it made!

I have a friend who does Turbo Fire and other Beachbody workouts, and he often mixes them up. When he was doing a P90X challenge, he didn't do the cardio days with the videos--he would do something else or go run 5 miles.

castelluzzo99

Just read that article--it's really good. In P90X day 7 of the week is a rest day, and they have an optional stretch video that lasts almost an hour. I used to do that at the end of the day. It would relax me so much! If you feel like you have to do something, try stretching. You'll feel like you did something, but your body will get to rest and recover! A win win!

xraychick77

i went both ways..rested and not rested..and for me..not taking rest days worked best for me.

rdrettig1

I say listen to your body. You if start feeling tired and sluggish and your workouts are suffering then take a day or two off. Sometimes I feel I need a rest day after three days of working out some days I don't feel like I need one until six or seven days.

cdjs77

I have been curious about this too. I never take a full rest day. I always do something, even if its just casual biking or a brisk walk around the city. I do strength training every other day and cardio every day. I spoke to a trainer at the gym and he said basically what everyone else said: listen to your body. If you are doing fine with few rest days, keep going. However be on the lookout for signs of over-training such as fatigue, weakness or an inability to complete your regular workout.

Snow3y

Rest days are very much needed so your body can rest, replenish and build the muscles used previously.. This is a great time to up on your nutrient dense foods so the recovery is done at its most optimum.

Some people recover faster than others, it's dependent on your nutrition and age really..

alyssa92982

When doing a strenuous workout regime I would say yes take one rest day to recover your body and refuel it for the next 6 days. I'm doing a hybrid of p90x and insanity and there is 1 rest day per week scheduled on the program. I believe there's a reason they do that

cavia

You might be resting on a rest day but your body is busy repairing your muscles. Rest days are essential.