Do I Really Need a Rest Day?

I think rest days are good....your muscles and body probably need the rest....it might help....

When you overload your muscles, they get stronger IN BETWEEN workouts...not During the workouts. You challenge your body to do things and it adapts itself to the stress in so that it's better prepared to handle the stimulus the next time around.

Giving your body that additional time to recover allows you to push harder the next workout since you'll be that much stronger.

Overtraining without any rest eventually leads to plateaus and even a reversal of progress.

I don't like taking a break either BUT most successful athletes whom I would choose to emulate do take breaks, so.....On my day off I do yoga and still jog/walk the dog for 90 minutes, but that seems to be the break my body requires.

I think atleast 1 rest day is good it gives your body time to recover from all the stress it has went threw throughout the week

I didnt like taking rest days off either. But my body needed them. I kept getting minor nagging injuries, nothing major. I started taking a day off at least once a week. if I push really hard I might take a day off every 2 or 3 days. Since I started doing this No injuries. I listen to what my body tells me now not what I want.

Part of the human condition (and if you're a structural engineer, you'll recognize this as "fatigue") is that our bodies can adapt to almost any situation if it's implemented gradually enough, right up until the point of failure. In other words, you may not feel bad, but if you haven't given your body days to recover, there's probably some wear and tear that's gone on, they call them stress fractures or muscle fatigue, Professional pitchers call it "dead arm". They're all the same thing, you work some bone or muscle or ligament to hard and it fatigues and wears down.

So yeah, you really need to give yourself a day or two off every 5 or 6 days.

If you're doing strength training, your muscles need a day off to recover.
Otherwise, I've read that you can do your cardio and stuff on a daily basis, however once every two or three months, you need to take a WEEK off, if you're working out every day. Because in the end, your body does need a chance to recover.
Also, just pay attention to your body. You know you need a break if
a.)your heart rate is above normal, especially when you wake up in the morning
b.) you're having trouble sleeping
There's probably more signs, but I'm not an expert in this area.

I don't take rest days where I don't workout at all, but I take active rest days where I don't exercise as much or go at a lower intensity. Right now, since I'm doing 30 Day Shred, it means that I switch between just doing 30 Day Shred and doing it in combination with jogging intervals. But, I'm also paying attention to my body and not pushing myself to the point of injury.

If you are doing the INSANITY workout...you'll want a rest day. I'd still recommend walking or doing yoga, definitly get a good stretch in on your rest day!!!

Hubby and I did Insanity last summer and I was sore, sore, sore on the day AFTER rest day during the first 2 weeks of it. Form there I started to do something, just a heck of alot lighter, not as intesive as the Insanity workout!

Good Luck!

Bump-good info.

I normally take one rest day a week, but last week we had a big family celebration with people from all over the country visiting and some staying with us, which caused me to miss three consecutive days of exercise. I had my best run ever the first day back and I feel so invigorated! I may plan some more of those breaks maybe a couple of times a year. This is an incredible feeling - I just can't wait to exercise again!

Exactly, You may feel "fine". But you don't know how much better you could be feeling if you did take a rest day. The day after my rest day I feel awsome. And the first work out back weather it's lifting, running, cycling is always a more intense, a more gratifying workout.

Then there is that whole fatigue thing Banks talked about. It's the same as gaining weight, except in reverse. You can get away with McDonalds Super Value meal, and 20 wings every once in a while. But if you are a repeat offender it will begin to have a negative effect and you'll feel fine that whole time. Until one day something wakes you up to the fact you're gaining weight and don't feel as good as you did. Except this time chronic pain starts to show up, or something goes "snap"!

Anyway....take a rest day even though you may not want to.

The need for rest depends on a lot of things.

Age and overall health are a big factor. As a 41-year-old who appears to be in good health, you don't need a rest day just for the sake of taking a rest day. If you were older or had some medical concerns, that would be different.

Physical condition is also important. If you're in good shape and don't have any injuries, again, there is no need for a "rest day" just for the purpose of saying "I rested." But if you experience any sort of pain or injury, especially in the feet, ankles, knees, or hips, you definitely need to take a break for a day and see how you're feeling the next day. These kinds of injuries do not go away with prolonged exercise; they only get worse.

Your diet is key. If you're eating a low amount of calories, you need to be careful about overtraining simply because your body isn't getting the nutrients it needs to sustain a heavy workout load. But if you're on target with your nutrition, then this is not an issue.

Finally, if you're doing any serious strength training, you do have to give your muscles time to rest because they cannot recover if they are being strenuously used every day. This doesn't mean you have to completely take a day off. It's just if you're doing quad-heavy lifts one day, switch to shoulders the next day.

The bottom line is that we're all different, and what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for someone else. I understand the feeling of guilt because I'm the same way, and I work out for at least an hour even on my "rest day" (just nothing too strenuous), but I've also learned how to listen to what my body is saying. If I feel pain, I skip a day. If I still feel lethargic 10 minutes into my workout, I stop and call it a day because I know my body is telling me it needs a break (this has only happened to me a few times in 16 months of daily exercise, which is how I know it's important to pay attention). Just listen to your body and go with what YOU feel, not with what other people tell you that you SHOULD feel.