So just how important are rest days?

ajcmoran2005
ajcmoran2005 Posts: 173 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

I have a quick question about exercise. I was an avid runner for years until I got pregnant and then I took a break...for about four years :). I just got back into it this past month and I honestly had forgotten how much I loved running! That being said, I'm a little OCD. I feel like if I don't run everyday then I'm lazy. I know that sounds totally bizarre. What I would like to know is how important is it to take a day off? Am I hurting myself by running everyday? It's only 3.5-4 miles so it's not a crazy amount. Should I force myself to rest one day or is it ok to keep doing what I'm doing?

Replies

  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
    rest days are just as important as workout days.


    if you're dead set on doing something, you could always go for a walk.
  • Alsison
    Alsison Posts: 651 Member
    I am interested in seeing the responses to this.

    I spin for 30-45 minutes every morning and I too feel lazy if I miss it.

    Cheers,
    Alsison
  • cavia
    cavia Posts: 457 Member
    You might be resting on a rest day but your body is busy repairing the muscles you've used the day before. You aren't lazy allowing your body some recovery time.
  • caseyg9888
    caseyg9888 Posts: 36
    I don't care if you're a former world class marathoner, did you seriously just go from not running for FOUR YEARS to running 4 miles EVERY SINGLE DAY?

    You're going to get injured. Even if your form is PERFECT, you're going to get an overuse injury. Introduce yourself to your couch, you're about to become real good friends for 6 months due to an IT band injury.

    ETA:
    See also:
    -Runners knee
    -Achilles tendonitis
    -Plantar fasciitis
    -Shin splints
    -Muscle tears
    -Stress fractures
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    I don't care if you're a former world class marathoner, did you seriously just go from not running for FOUR YEARS to running 4 miles EVERY SINGLE DAY?

    You're going to get injured. Even if your form is PERFECT, you're going to get an overuse injury. Introduce yourself to your couch, you're about to become real good friend for 6 months due to an IT band injury.

    THIS
    When I finished couch25k, and I did that 4x/wk instead of 3, I got so excited that I tried running everyday while on vacation. I hurt my knee and the back of my leg. I had to completely stop running for a couple of weeks to let it heal, then gradually add in jogging with walking and elliptical. My running would have been better if I had just stuck to the 4x/wk (every other day) schedule instead of 5 days back-to-back.

    Is it possible to run everyday? Yes, some people do it. But is it safe? Not really. Don't push it too hard at the beginning. Take your rest days and leave some room for improvement down the road.
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    Not that important and it really just depends. The major drawback of exercising everyday is injury. Doing some type of cardio on rest days will help with muscle growth from lifting weights the day before so you can do cardio every day. Cardio speeds up circulation to help carry resources to and away from muscles. Olympic weight lifters can also lift every day much like an average person can do pushups on a daily basis but lifting every day isn't for the average person. As long as you gain strength, you can lift daily. It all comes down to how injury prone your body is and if you're gaining by lifting daily.
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    Btw, I jog 4 miles a day 6 days a week with no injury. This is possible because I have the right type of shoes and never jog on concrete.
  • kganc001
    kganc001 Posts: 317
    I run every day except on the day after I do my leg strength work out (my quads are just too sore!). I allow myself proper stretch times, run a mile then walk .1-.3 mile, and run another mile and stagger it that way for 4-ish miles. If I didn't run every day I'd have WAY too much pent up emotional energy. Womp womp.

    When I run I also don't run at my "max." I know I can go at ~6 mph for 30 minutes, but I keep it at 5.3-5.5 mph (treadmill) and I've been injury free. :) But I also do a lot of strength training to make sure my bones and muscles stay pliable.

    It's safe to run every day if you know your own limitations.
  • ChanceTakr2131
    ChanceTakr2131 Posts: 96
    I also have a hard time taking rest days, but if I don't, I tend to pull and strain my muscles more easily which can lead to injury. I think our bodies need at least one day a week to recover, and that is all I usually do. My sport is high impact like running, so I would think that one rest day per week would work well for you too. :flowerforyou:

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