Should we let our bodys rest for a day now and again?

emmalzthompson
emmalzthompson Posts: 275
in Fitness and Exercise
Is it bad to not workout one day? i havent burned any cals today, other than the cals everyone burns being active ( which i dont log) I feel bad that I havent done a intense workout, but then I am wondering if you need to let your body rest??

Replies

  • Krista916
    Krista916 Posts: 258
    I think for the most part people do take rest days. It's not a bad thing.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Exercise if done right tears down the body. That's all it does.

    Rest for recovery and repair is how it is actually built back up if diet allows, to the same or stronger, hopefully.

    If all you did was exercise intensely, it would backfire pretty quick. Performance plateau, and actually losing performance in that regard.

    But from perspective of "I'm pushing just as hard as ever", ya, probably are, and yet a whole lot slower, weaker, ect than what you could be or even what you were doing.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    there is no such thing as over training... simple "under resting"

    you NEED time off to recover.

    1 day BARE MINIMUM- 2 is more realistic.

    It may not catch up with you now- but it will- eventually.
  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
    Is it bad to not workout one day? i havent burned any cals today, other than the cals everyone burns being active ( which i dont log) I feel bad that I havent done a intense workout, but then I am wondering if you need to let your body rest??

    Recovery is where you get stronger but how often you rest ("recover") depends on how much you're stressing your body and how well you recover.

    Generally speaking, the younger you are, the more quickly you'll recover.
  • emmalzthompson
    emmalzthompson Posts: 275
    Ok thank-you ... so in laymans terms, the body does need to rest to help gain a healthy fit body? I have been on my mfp journey for 5 weeks, lost 10 llbs. and other than two days where I rested due to injury, every day Im pushing myself hard! From intense aerobics/cardio, weight lifting, Tabata workouts, calstinitics (or however you spell it), dance and ballet training. And today i really had NO time to workout ... lame excuse I know. but after feeling guilty I suddenly thought, does the body need to rest? To help achieve our goals, is it beneficial? Thanks for the advice everyone :)
  • dwh77tx
    dwh77tx Posts: 513 Member
    Yes, rest! I learned this the hard way. I overexercised last summer and didn't take any rest days. My period went away for 6 months!!
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,658 Member
    Is it bad to not workout one day? i havent burned any cals today, other than the cals everyone burns being active ( which i dont log) I feel bad that I havent done a intense workout, but then I am wondering if you need to let your body rest??

    Yes, it is advisable to have rest days.
  • sharonfoustmills
    sharonfoustmills Posts: 519 Member
    Your body does need rest. You can actually wear away the very muscle you are trying to build by over-working it.
  • Blacklance36
    Blacklance36 Posts: 755 Member
    A working body craves a rest!
  • IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym
    IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym Posts: 5,573 Member
    rest is as important as the work out
  • abnerner
    abnerner Posts: 452 Member
    YES. period!
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    nope, not unless your in the hospital, ha ha
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    A rest day or two a week, and a deprogramming week every eight weeks is pretty standard across a lot of programs.

    I sometimes count gentle hatha yoga and/or mobility work (foam rolling, theraband work, lacrosse ball/trigger point therapy) as rest days. Sometimes, I have a day where I don't do anything but personal hygiene tasks, eating, and resting, and some days I have work, school, chores, homework, a lifting workout and then a jog and mobility work later. But if I did either of those extremes exclusively, that would be bad for my body!
  • DCruz83
    DCruz83 Posts: 99
    Yup, the body definitely needs to rest for the muscles to repair, especially after intense activity. It's usually why most places recommend to alternate cardio and strenght training days. You could also do both the same day and then rest on the next day. As long as you don't over stress the body, you'll be okay, but not resting could even lead to injury depending on what kind of workout you're doing!
  • emmalzthompson
    emmalzthompson Posts: 275
    Yup, the body definitely needs to rest for the muscles to repair, especially after intense activity. It's usually why most places recommend to alternate cardio and strenght training days. You could also do both the same day and then rest on the next day. As long as you don't over stress the body, you'll be okay, but not resting could even lead to injury depending on what kind of workout you're doing!

    The only days I have rested since starting my MFP journey were due to injury. I am happy to hear we should rest too, but missing th burn! I wasnt always unfit, I was a ballet dancer as a teen, and a fitness fanatic too ... but lost my way .... but that is a whole different story ..... But now im back into it, I crave that burn and adrenaline each day, im sad to not have it, but happy to know im doing the right thing :)
  • mheebner
    mheebner Posts: 285 Member
    I know what you are feeling, the almost guilt of not working out, and the near exhaustion but supreme feeling of a great burn, but the body needs to recharge. Maybe take a day or two off and feed your body some great and healthy nutrients. You will be so ready to 'hit the ground running' by the time your next work out comes
  • froeschli
    froeschli Posts: 1,292 Member
    I am just debating on a 2nd rest day in a row - overdid my long run, then felt great and did a tempo run the next day. It all caught up to me the day after (tired, grouchy, HUNGRY ...). Now I am feeling ok to go, but I think I will skip today in favour of a good run tomorrow. It's called "recovery week" for a reason *shrug*.
  • lustergirl
    lustergirl Posts: 123 Member
    Oh I can relate to this topic. I was non stop at the gym for 4 days straight:

    Sunday: Body Combat
    Monday: working on my c25k program
    Tuesday: Zumba
    Wednesday: c25k program and Body Combat

    Yea yesterday and today are rests for me. I still walk at work during my breaks though. Right now my knees are killing me.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Yup, the body definitely needs to rest for the muscles to repair, especially after intense activity. It's usually why most places recommend to alternate cardio and strenght training days. You could also do both the same day and then rest on the next day. As long as you don't over stress the body, you'll be okay, but not resting could even lead to injury depending on what kind of workout you're doing!

    The only days I have rested since starting my MFP journey were due to injury. I am happy to hear we should rest too, but missing th burn! I wasnt always unfit, I was a ballet dancer as a teen, and a fitness fanatic too ... but lost my way .... but that is a whole different story ..... But now im back into it, I crave that burn and adrenaline each day, im sad to not have it, but happy to know im doing the right thing :)

    Sounds like you've already discovered what your body will do if you don't wisely do it purposely.

    Sick, injured, tired, no performance gains despite thinking you are pushing yourself, ect.

    When especially pushing hard, you'll usually find taking a whole week off with nothing but walking will let you come back stronger.

    But then again, depends on why you are doing the exercise, if just to burn extra calories, that probably doesn't matter.
    In which case something reasonable and calm every day could be done.

    Remember too.
    Diet is for weight loss, if done right just fat loss, if done wrong muscle loss too.
    Exercise is for heart health and body improvements, and may help fat loss, but may help muscle loss too.

    If all the exercise is done for weight loss, you got an unsustainable view for long run. Probably also means like so many others, you think exercise is creating your deficit, perhaps unaware MFP already has one in your diet goal, so you are doubling-down perhaps unaware that more is not better with a deficit either, just like exercise.
  • mahanaibu
    mahanaibu Posts: 505 Member
    My yoga teacher, who has a degree in neurophysiology, is a huge believer in rest days...even rest weeks. I have to say, I missed two classes, was afraid of whether I'd be able to do everything when I got back, but found I was actually stronger and more able to do the moves.
  • edwardgaweda
    edwardgaweda Posts: 40
    Ignore anyone advising you to not push yourself in the name of over training.

    Listen to anyone telling you to rest 1-2x per week while pushing yourself the other 5-6.

    Proceed to achieve goals. Profit.
  • mowu
    mowu Posts: 245 Member
    The only days I have rested since starting my MFP journey were due to injury. I am happy to hear we should rest too, but missing th burn! I wasnt always unfit, I was a ballet dancer as a teen, and a fitness fanatic too ... but lost my way .... but that is a whole different story ..... But now im back into it, I crave that burn and adrenaline each day, im sad to not have it, but happy to know im doing the right thing :)

    Well - rest days don't have to be inactive - you just don't work out intensely. So if you feel you should do something you could go for a walk or light jog.....or take the bike out without pushing yourself or something like that.

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