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MyFitnessPal Community

Rest Day

ARNJMN

Hey guys,

I understand that taking a rest day or two per week is important. But, just to broaden my knowledge...why do YOU think taking a "full rest day" is crucial? And, what do you think it does to help boost your health/fitness?

Excited to hear different thoughts on this, thanks

Replies

BlueBombers

I think it's important to let your body recover from an intense workout. If I'm sore and achy and can barely walk, darn right I'm taking a day off.

Stage14

I lift heavy, so rest days are necessary to give my muscles time to make the repairs needed to further my strength and also allow my central nervous system to fully recover. I also take an entire week off every 8-12 weeks so that my skeletal system can fully repair itself since it takes so much more time.

Personally, my goal is 3-4 days lifting, 2-3 days cardio, 1 full rest day, with others sprinkled in as needed. But so far, I'm not having much luck working cardio back in so it's more like 3-4 lift days and 3 rest days at the moment.

leggup

It gives your joints and muscles a break and allows them to recover and rebuild before you pulverize them more. You don't have to take a full rest day if you isolate your exercise (i.e. having leg day 2-3X per week and resting your legs all other days). However, isolating doesn't work if you like to do whole-body workouts.

Stage14

It gives your joints and muscles a break and allows them to recover and rebuild before you pulverize them more. You don't have to take a full rest day if you isolate your exercise (i.e. having leg day 2-3X per week and resting your legs all other days). However, isolating doesn't work if you like to do whole-body workouts.

You should still have at least some rest days worked into your routine even working isolated areas to keep from overtraining your CNS. It doesn't have to be weekly, provided you aren't working each area to a high intensity every single day, but it should be a regular part of any training program really.

jemhh

As hard as it is for me to make myself rest, it almost always makes a positive difference in my workouts. Two weeks ago I had a MWF full body workout schedule and was doing three sets of 7 pushups with the last one being a struggle. I switched to an ABA/BAB type schedule where I do pushups every 3 to 5 days and now can do two sets of 15 no problem (probably more as that was after a 60 second pushup test.) I just have to remind myself that more often is not necessarily better.

joanna_82

I have to have rest days as i have a back and hip problem and have too much pain if I exercise every day.

However, I do vary the intensity of my exercise, so have 2 runs a week, 1 yoga class and one swim. I might walk on the other days but might not. I listen to my body and if something hurts, I give it a bit of time to recover.

bugaboo_sue

Weekends are pretty much my rest days, especially in the summer. During the week the only time I'll take a rest day is if I don't get up early to hit the gym and work happens or if I am really sore.

spaingirl2011

I make Tuesdays and Saturdays my rest days. I find that the day after a rest day produces great running and lifting. I can actually give 100% on the days after rest days and I'm not lagging. I still take walks after dinner on my rest days, but I don't run or lift.

martyqueen52

I workout M-W-F and rest the rest of the week and weekends except for weighted hill sprints on Saturday and walking my dogs on off days.

I deadlift 500+ so rest for me is really crucial since big heavy lifts tax the hell out of your nervous system. I also have noticed that if I miss a rep on my big lifts (squats, bench, and DL's) I'm weaker the next week. So my advice.... rest.... and NEVER miss a rep on big lifts.

kessler4130

I usually take one once a month, yes I know it's not healthy, I went from obese unhealthy to destructive working out unhealthy...... oh well. If I get too beat down I will take a deload, otherwise I do abs, forearm, supplemental stuff and call it an off day.

DawnieB1977

My PT says I should have 2 rest days a week to let my muscles recover. I always use weights in gym and PT sessions, and most classes I do (except Zumba and spinning) involve weights too.

Most rest days I walk though. Today I've walked my son to school, then my daughter to nursery. I picked my son up at 3, and soon we're going to walk to nursery (it's a mile away) to collect her. It's the school holidays now in England so I have a 5 year old, a 3 year old and a 2 month old to entertain for 6 weeks

. There are no rest days for me lol.

anothermop

I want to stay in my routine, so I stretch or do yoga on my "rest" days--I don't want to slide back into my old habit of watching SportsCenter or something when I wake up. It doesn't matter if I've lifted or ran the day before, I really enjoy my rest days.

dym123

I find it hard to take a rest day, so I usually do some yoga, between 30 minutes to an hour. Nothing to strenuous. Though, I am a firm believer of listening to my body, so I will take a rest day if conditions call for it.

melindafritz1976

I never to a rest day or a cheat day
thats a cope out

DR2501

I know they're important for recovery, but I still get rest day guilt for not working out...

dinosnopro

Some people do better with more rest, some do better with less. I say try both, track your progress and do what fits you best.