Anyone else feel really guilty on rest days?

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Replies

  • karinmelanie
    karinmelanie Posts: 26
    I don't feel guilty. I just hate that I can't eat as much. :laugh:

    hahah, so true :)

    Cheers for the answers guys, this community really is amazing!

    I realise that my body needs time to recover and that rest days are important and I really don't want to injure myself and not be able to workout at all.

    I spent all day watching movies and catching up on sleep, oh and eating of course.

    Now I am looking forward to my morning workout :)
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,535 Member
    Rest days are where the magic happens from your last training session.

    To feel guilty about your training sessions being effective sounds nuts to me.

    Remember it's the space between the notes as much as the notes themselves that make a beautiful piece of music.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,998 Member
    I don't feel guilty because I know my body needs time to recuperate, but I do find I'm itching to be more active. I try not to be a couch potato on those days by keeping busy with other activities that may include my walking places.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    i don't feel guilty exactly . . . more like restless sometimes, or dissatisfied. you know how this kind of thing goes - some days suck, and every so often you hit one of those really really great days and come out of it high as a kite . . . i find i'm often thinking of how that next one could be perfect. and then i start chasing it, wanting to get in there and spin the wheel one more time.

    thing is, i know that random-reward pattern is the perfect ingredient for addiction http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_stimulation_reward. and i don't really care if exercise is a 'good' addiction. i don't want to be addicted to anything. it's always a loss for me if i don't have full control over my own management of what i'm doing and why i'm doing it.

    so yeah, i get it . . . but i'm trying to kind of watch that whole junkie factor as well. i'm just starting out with stronglifts 5x5 and only touched my first barbell around 3 months ago. so i'm mostly seeing rest days as a chance to forget the weight and practice my form, maybe maintain my range of motion, by doing air-lifts.

    and i'll admit i talk myself into chilling out on some days by telling myself i'm stockpiling resources for the next day so when i get in there i can really invest . . . which isn't exactly in the spirit of what i just said, but i always was one of those kids who save the red smarties for last, so i'm kind of constructing my mindset around that atm.
  • KarenB927
    KarenB927 Posts: 94 Member
    I went from an exercise hater the feeling guilty on rest days. Something I never would have thought possible. Yesterday was a rest day, but I spent 2 1/2 hours walking at different paces at the mall buying some new clothes. So technically my exercise yesterday was walking a lot. I'm a few pounds below my goal weight and working on muscle building and strength training
  • MalayanTiger
    MalayanTiger Posts: 61
    Sunday is my recovery day, and I do a full day of fasting with PLENTY of water w/ lemon. Might not work for you, but it works for me.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 46,986 Member
    The other important thing here is that rest/recovery days are when muscle gets repaired/rebuilt/ and get stronger. Exercising the muscle at the time doesn't do this.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,952 Member
    Hurt my shoulder, took a rest week, I feel awesome about it.

    Granted, that tri in 21 days is looming...
  • zcb94
    zcb94 Posts: 3,679 Member
    I hate rest days with a passion.

    Me too! If I feel the need to rest (from soreness, or just plain forgot, or ran out of time in a day), I will keep track of the wasted time, then punish myself with double (or triple, and so on) time on the hand bike ASAP.
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,017 Member
    I don't feel guilty. I just hate that I can't eat as much. :laugh:

    This! I love my rest days, because I always feel I need them! But less food is sad!

    yep
  • RUNNING_AMOK_1958
    RUNNING_AMOK_1958 Posts: 268 Member
    By knowing the scale will probably show a loss after rest days and the possibility of a new running PR. Most of my PR'S happen after rest days.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    i-regret-nothing.gif
  • karinmelanie
    karinmelanie Posts: 26
    By knowing the scale will probably show a loss after rest days and the possibility of a new running PR. Most of my PR'S happen after rest days.

    You are absolutely right, I decided to have 3 rest days before my last 10K and I absolutely smashed my PR.

    I also remember studying for a PE exam and reading how muscle recovery and supercompensation etc works.
  • CaitySins
    CaitySins Posts: 57 Member
    I tend to have to take a rest day every 2 days of exercise as my legs get achey (I do a lot of thigh burning activities, squats and sit ups mixed with my aerobics) so if I don't I'll just be under performing cause my body needs to recover, though when I do have a rest day I try to do other things like take long relaxed walks, bring my niece and nephew to the park etc so I'm still getting some activity in
  • EMergise
    EMergise Posts: 36 Member
    Rest days are so important.... but like you I get itchy feet when I'm not doing anything!!

    I usually try to do rest days when I know I'm going to be quite busy with work, or out with friends or something. I tend to be quite active on those days anyway....

    Otherwise, I do something low impact or beneficial to my rest. i.e. a long stretching session, yoga/pilates, gentle walk or a short leisurely swim and sauna/swim!!

    I always feel better after a rest day!!
  • Icandoityayme
    Icandoityayme Posts: 312 Member
    Yes I do feel guilty, like I am being lazy or not even trying. I do make myself take Sunday off though and spend the day catching up on cleaning and laundry. I am afraid if I skip it, I won't want to do it again the next day and will fall back into my old ways.
  • juliewatkin
    juliewatkin Posts: 764 Member
    I do gentle exercise too on rest days because it makes me feel good - stretching, riding my bike at a leisurely pace, swimming a little dancing around the kitchen with my daughter. I never feel bad about "rest" days because the gentle exercise I do is enjoyable to me. Gotta find that rest day activity that you like. Also, who says you have to sit around on the couch on rest days? Scrap book, take a class, do something relaxing and FUN!
    This.

    Although I don't run, I compete in powerlifting. Eating, sleeping and recovering are part of it. It's not about slacking off, it's about sticking to a plan that makes you better at what you're doing.

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