How Important are Rest Days?

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YumiZoomi
YumiZoomi Posts: 42
in Fitness and Exercise
I've always had issues with incorporating a rest day. I'm a go hard or go home type person. Don't like anything half done. I set a goal and I strive. I'm also a little OCD.. I have to write down all my work outs, log my food, take pictures every other week, weigh in every sunday etc.

If I miss one.. I feel like it was all for nothing and don't want to continue because I messed up the perfect journal. I know that sounds crazy, but.. I want a perfectly sequenced log. So once I start a schedule, I want to keep it that way until I've reached the finish line. My schedule started with no rest day... I have one "light" day that I consider kind of a rest day, and it's the one way I've tricked myself into believing I haven't messed up my flow to keep going to the gym while also kind of resting. Also.. I'm scared if I rest a day, I'll like it too much and not want to go back.

Is it SUPER DUPER imperative I have a rest day/days? Or can I just keep going as I have been with the one "light" day I've been doing?

Replies

  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    Your body will let you know it's time to rest one way or another.
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
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    Your body will tell you if you need a rest day, but recovery is part of training and is probably one of the most underrated components of training.

    Try not to stress so much over everything being perfect, quality exercise is always better than a perfect plan or routine.

    "We can never achieve perfection but we can achieve excellence through the pursuit of perfection."
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    To be honest a 'perfect' training schedule is one that incorporates enough rest...
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    So then I would schedule a rest day into your journal every week. That's how I do it. It's important if you're doing any kind of intense exercise. It doesn't have to be totally sedentary; you could do some light yoga or go for a walk.
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 814 Member
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    Your body needs to recover. Take a rest day each week so your body can recover.
  • jillmarie125
    jillmarie125 Posts: 418 Member
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    i struggled with rest days too. i had the go big or go home attitude. it didnt do me any good. now, i look forward to my 2 rest days a week. i will foam roll, stretch and do active things like rock climbing or hiking. but i really think rest days are needed.
  • uconnwinsnc1
    uconnwinsnc1 Posts: 902 Member
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    Younger people can get away with less rest days, although it isn't optimal. Your body doesn't heal and grow while it is working out, so give it time to do what it needs to do.
  • Pelamblue
    Pelamblue Posts: 177 Member
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    Rest days are hugely important. Your body needs time to recover from the stresses that it's put under. If your muscles don't get time to recover you will just 'platue', or even go backwards untill you inevitably burn out. Judging by your positive attitude towards fitness I dont think you will have any trouble getting back to the gym. You will feel refreshed and your next session will feel great. I have at least 2 rest days a week, and I am gaining in fitness and strength.
  • jstout365
    jstout365 Posts: 1,686 Member
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    If you find yourself exhausted, sick, or continually sore, then that is your body asking for a rest. You don't indicate what you are doing every day so your "light" workout day may or may not be sufficient to allow your body to recover from the rest of the week. Rest days are important, but many people incorporate "active" rest days where they will go for a walk or a gentle bike ride, but keep the intensity level much lower than the rest of their program. Rest allows your body to repair and recover. This helps reduce the risk of injury and over training.

    Listen to your body and adjust your schedule as needed. Don't let your perfect notebook let you run yourself into the ground.
  • Kristyann624
    Kristyann624 Posts: 38 Member
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    I have the same attitude. Plus the fear if I stop for a day I'm going to stop forever and gain weight again. I'm learning to trust in rest days. I find after several days of intense work outs it's on the rest days that I'm losing.
  • rand486
    rand486 Posts: 270 Member
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    There's no such thing as overtraining. There is such a thing as underresting.

    Listen to your body - get plenty of sleep, eat well, and you'll be fine.
  • YumiZoomi
    YumiZoomi Posts: 42
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    I see... well also because.. if I don't workout.. I can't eat as much.. LOL!! And, I want to be able to eat normal amounts even on my rest days. I only eat as much as I do now because my workout burns so much. To replenish those burned off calories, I eat... and it's still under the calorie goals MFP has in place for me. So it feels like I'm not dieting or restricting my food consumption. If I rest a day.. I'd have to strictly stick to eating less that day to stay on track... ;/

    I swim for my cardio.. Laps. I try to hit between 2000-2500 yards within 40min time frame. Mixed with interval sets and once in awhile a distance/endurance swim. My "light" rest day.. I consider to be leisurely, super slow swim about 2000-2500 yards (takes longer time though) OR, leisurely, super slow swim about 1500-1700 yards and later walk the dog 30mins (instead of my dad lol).
  • jillmarie125
    jillmarie125 Posts: 418 Member
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    YumiZoomi wrote: »
    I see... well also because.. if I don't workout.. I can't eat as much.. LOL!! And, I want to be able to eat normal amounts even on my rest days. I only eat as much as I do now because my workout burns so much. To replenish those burned off calories, I eat... and it's still under the calorie goals MFP has in place for me. So it feels like I'm not dieting or restricting my food consumption. If I rest a day.. I'd have to strictly stick to eating less that day to stay on track... ;/

    I swim for my cardio.. Laps. I try to hit between 2000-2500 yards within 40min time frame. Mixed with interval sets and once in awhile a distance/endurance swim. My "light" rest day.. I consider to be leisurely, super slow swim about 2000-2500 yards (takes longer time though) OR, leisurely, super slow swim about 1500-1700 yards and later walk the dog 30mins (instead of my dad lol).

    If you want to eat the same amount everyday, try the TDEE - X% method. I like having the same calorie and macro goals everyday. you can google to find out that info and then adjust your goals here. just make sure to log your work outs as 1 cal to not mess with your macros and calories.

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