skipping excersize days

britttttx3
britttttx3 Posts: 458
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys. What's your take on how often to excersize a week for weight loss? I'm trying to lose 60 pounds...should I not be skipping any days? And working out daily?

Replies

  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Rest days are an important part of the equation. Our muscles heal and repair when the body is at rest. Most will advise taking at least one rest day per week, more if you feel you need it. I always take at least one day off, but if I'm really sore, or just feeling tired from many weeks of consistent exercise, I'll take an extra day, or more. Over the past year I've taken a full week off several times, just to take a break. It feels great to step back (I still eat well & track all my food) from the workouts, and I come back feeling refreshed and ready to go strong again.
  • JoanB5
    JoanB5 Posts: 610 Member
    When I was trying to form a habit and "condition", I decided at Christmas that I would walk at least 15 minutes every day on the treadmill, no excuses. I think this did a couple things: it reminded me DAILY of the cost of my food choices, my responsibility to my health overall, and it caused me to want to increase to break up the monotony. Walking every day was not strenuous enough to require rest, but still earned me about 100 calories a mile (or about 15 minutes). That's a snack at the end of the day I needed!

    As I needed some change, I joined a group on here called "NoNonsense Challenge". A time or two a week, I switched my treadmill time for sets of squats, push-ups, and basic body weight exercises. I got my heart rate up, it was do-able in 30 minutes, and it strengthened muscles used in walking and jogging so that I was less prone to injury.

    The third month, I switched to a focus on upper body in my next month to balance lower body. Half-way through that month, I went to compound moves to exercise most efficiently. I do this 1-2 times a week.

    By the fourth month, I could do a 5K, Nike Training Club app, play tennis, lift Strong's 5X5 (adapted for sand bag lifting), and skip a day between workouts here and there without "falling apart".

    It worked for me to do a calorie deficit (no more than 500 calories a day, for me, it was only 300 due to my starting size), and earning back anything you want to eat above that through exercise...THAT was a great motivation to eat well and exercise. It worked! You get to eat back exercise calories, so I wanted to exercise a lot! : )
  • clarkeje1
    clarkeje1 Posts: 1,640 Member
    Always take at least 1 rest day. I think working out 5 days a week is good.
  • britttttx3
    britttttx3 Posts: 458
    Very helpful!! Thanks guys
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Hey guys. What's your take on how often to excersize a week for weight loss? I'm trying to lose 60 pounds...should I not be skipping any days? And working out daily?

    Rest Days are very important. Your body needs time to recover.

    I try to do 20-40 mins of exercise 4-5 days a week. This past week I haven't worked out much, because my body is fighting two infections right now (sinus infection and pink eye). For awhile I was only taking rest days every 12 days or so and I actually ended up getting hurt. The injury caused me to need to take about a week off from exercise.

    Conclusion - Take rest days. At least 1 per week. Your body will thank you.
  • britttttx3
    britttttx3 Posts: 458
    Thanks shadow2soul. I had a terrible sinus infection two weeks ago!!!:( feel better soonn
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
    Rest days are important but you can still go for a nice walk on those rest days if you would like. I would really like to add this into my routine, on non workout days I would like to at least still get in a walk.
  • WilmaDennis91
    WilmaDennis91 Posts: 433 Member
    I work out 4-5 times a week. I tend to get Saturday and Sunday off but sometimes, I just wanna go lol. But important, always have 1 rest day. But don't use that day to laze around, you can always go on a walk, clean, etc. to help burn some calories.
  • RepsnSets
    RepsnSets Posts: 805 Member
    I have one rest day a week usually Sunday.
  • kyrubas
    kyrubas Posts: 6 Member
    I've taken to doing 4 days on, 1 day off which comes out to being just under 6 days a week on average. Before I was doing 6 on 1 off and that was a bit too much.

    I find that sometimes when I'm unable to do my routine for a couple of days in a row for whatever reason, that I'm able to go at a higher intensity on my next work out and all of my subsequent workouts..

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