How important is a "rest" day?

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patssarah
patssarah Posts: 146 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have read alot about having a rest day, but I am not really into that. Is it going to make a HUGE difference if I dont want to take a rest day? I dont push my body really hard everyday or anything, I have been doing the 30day shred everyday (5days now) and I do 45mins or so of JustDance2 and then go for walks most evenings. A few days a week I will add in some extra situps or pushups. I dont feel like I am pushing my body too much.. But I dont want to do anything that is going to delay my goals.

Does anybody know if this is "okay" to not have a real rest day. Somedays I dont feel like I am really doing enough. I expect to have to work really hard to get the results I want, and I dont feel like taking a full day off is good for my motivation.

any thoughts or advice?

Thanks in advance

Replies

  • SaraTonin
    SaraTonin Posts: 551 Member
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    Rest days are good for letting your muscles repair themselves. If you don't want to take a full rest day, you can always take an easy day! Maybe limit to just the dance and walking one day a week?
  • megpiemac12
    megpiemac12 Posts: 76
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    do what feels comfortable for you. :) You seem to be working out a lot and seem to enjoy it. Wish I could have some of that motivation!
  • Bigpelly8
    Bigpelly8 Posts: 504 Member
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    I didn't beleive in them, until I pushed myself way too hard and just eventually felt broken down. As it is now, I am at the gym 6 days a week, and on my "rest" day, I spend a couple hours going for a walk with my wife and the. Enough to get me off the couch and burn a few calories! I find it gives me a day to just let my body catch up, and too mentally refocus on the week ahead!
  • megpiemac12
    megpiemac12 Posts: 76
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    personally though...now that I think of it...I do the kettleworx workout and my body needs the day off to repair my muscles! :)
  • rfcollins33
    rfcollins33 Posts: 630
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    I only rest if something comes up or if I am really sore. But, what I replied to say is that my husband says (he's a soldier who does PT everyday and is pretty kick *kitten* at it) that if you work different areas different days it will give the other areas time to recover. He says your abs and calves repair so quickly that you can work them every day. Hope that helps!!
  • spicegeek
    spicegeek Posts: 325 Member
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    The way to understand the importance of a rest day is to do the same workouts over 6 days and rest and then over 7 days and see how you feel on day 8 in both cases

    You body needs time to repair and recover - if you persist on not taking a rest day you will injure yourself eventually. I can go about 9 days before I absolutely HAVE to take a day off after day 7 my workouts are suffering

    a smaller muber of quality workouts are better for you than a large number of sloppy ones
  • lulutm
    lulutm Posts: 57
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    Rest days are meant to help you recuperate and rebuild muscles that have been torn down from exercise. For instance, you shouldn't weight train the same muscle groups every day, just like you probably shouldn't run every day. I think it's fine NOT to rest if you are switching up your activities....
  • BrookeReneshelle
    BrookeReneshelle Posts: 36
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    My thoughts on a rest day have changed recently. At first, I knew I was so out of shape I knew I could really push my lazy self and I wasn't taking a rest day- but after a while going without a full rest day I realized I was starting to really hate when it came time to work out, I started giving myself a day off and then I stayed motivated longer. Now, with the results I've been having, I'm addicted! I still rest once a week, and I think the below post is right too, at least go easy one day- don't make every day the same. If you are weight lifting, strength training, you do need to rest your muscles, because they grow and repair during rest days. :) hope that helps
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    Rest days are important, whether you're sore or not after working out, your muscles, joints, everything needs a chance to recover.

    Also, I looked over your food diary and it looks like you're not eating enough. It looks like most days you're only getting about 900 net calories, which isn't enough for your body to function properly.
  • RMX983
    RMX983 Posts: 34
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    A rest day is important to repair muscle and prevent injury.

    I never believed in it until recently. I got very burnt out and my muscles were aching. I took 2 days off then was able to come back refreshed and actually got better workouts in.

    I'm all for 1-2 rest days per week now. Makes my workouts better in the long run.
  • ivy2009
    ivy2009 Posts: 75
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    I am a long distance runner (10 Ks, half marathons and marathons). I run between 15 to 40 miles a week, depending if I am training for a marathon. In the running world, a rest day is HIGHLY encouraged. I take at least one rest day a week, and many weeks, I take two because of other commitments. A rest day is a great way to refresh your body and muscles. On a rest day, just eat a little less and take a walk. This helps prevent overuse injury and discourages your body from reaching a plateau. And let's face it, we have to practice being in the real world where sometimes things come up and we cannot always exercise or eat perfectly.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I have read alot about having a rest day, but I am not really into that. Is it going to make a HUGE difference if I dont want to take a rest day? I dont push my body really hard everyday or anything, I have been doing the 30day shred everyday (5days now) and I do 45mins or so of JustDance2 and then go for walks most evenings. A few days a week I will add in some extra situps or pushups. I dont feel like I am pushing my body too much.. But I dont want to do anything that is going to delay my goals.

    Does anybody know if this is "okay" to not have a real rest day. Somedays I dont feel like I am really doing enough. I expect to have to work really hard to get the results I want, and I dont feel like taking a full day off is good for my motivation.

    any thoughts or advice?

    Thanks in advance

    It is not good to work the same muscle groups back to back without rest. Many trainers will tell you that rest is just as, if not more, important as doing the work. You muscles get stronger and repair themselves during rest. without rest you can actually deteriorate your muscles, instead of growing them.
  • AndriaLL
    AndriaLL Posts: 162
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    I've always been told you can work your abs or do some yoga/stretching on rest days and you can work out in the morning one day, then the evening of the next day, and it can count as a "rest day" because there are >24 hours in between workouts...one of the ways I've been able to catch up on my training plans when work, kids, etc., have gotten me behind :smile:
  • patssarah
    patssarah Posts: 146 Member
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    Thank you everybody for your advice! I will definitely pick atleast one day a week to "take it easy"

    As far as my eating, I really dont want to go over my alloted 1200 cals. Even when I burn a lot of extra cals, I still dont want to eat them back because I think (maybe I am totally wrong) that the weight will come off faster as long as I dont dip below my 1200.
    I eat a alot of snacks and small meals all day, and then nothing after about 5pm.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
    Options
    Thank you everybody for your advice! I will definitely pick atleast one day a week to "take it easy"

    As far as my eating, I really dont want to go over my alloted 1200 cals. Even when I burn a lot of extra cals, I still dont want to eat them back because I think (maybe I am totally wrong) that the weight will come off faster as long as I dont dip below my 1200.
    I eat a alot of snacks and small meals all day, and then nothing after about 5pm.

    It may come off faster, or not at all if you don't eat enough. MFP already gives you a caloric intake to meet your weekly weight loss goal. If you exercise you must eat those caloires back to ensure your daily caloric deficit stays the same to meet your weekly loss. The amount MFP gives you is a net number which means that goal plus eating back what you burned. This is even more important as you get closer to your goal weight. The less you have to lose the less likely your body can sustain a larger caloric deficit. And since you don't have much to lose you should not have a large caloric deficit.
  • patssarah
    patssarah Posts: 146 Member
    Options
    Thank you everybody for your advice! I will definitely pick atleast one day a week to "take it easy"

    As far as my eating, I really dont want to go over my alloted 1200 cals. Even when I burn a lot of extra cals, I still dont want to eat them back because I think (maybe I am totally wrong) that the weight will come off faster as long as I dont dip below my 1200.
    I eat a alot of snacks and small meals all day, and then nothing after about 5pm.

    It may come off faster, or not at all if you don't eat enough. MFP already gives you a caloric intake to meet your weekly weight loss goal. If you exercise you must eat those caloires back to ensure your daily caloric deficit stays the same to meet your weekly loss. The amount MFP gives you is a net number which means that goal plus eating back what you burned. This is even more important as you get closer to your goal weight. The less you have to lose the less likely your body can sustain a larger caloric deficit. And since you don't have much to lose you should not have a large caloric deficit.


    Uggggg:ohwell: I hate the idea of eating more to lose the weight, but my weight loss has slowed down a lot. Guess now I know the reason, thanks for the advice, I really am clueless on this whole getting healthy thing, Ive been pregnant and having kids the last 5 years, and now Im on damage control trying to become a healthy role model and have the energy to keep up with my kids!!
    Thanks again! I Love the knowledge and support MFP has brought to my new lifestyle

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