Rest days...yes or no?

melissastetler1 · May 2015

So I'm new to working out. I've worked out every day since last Saturday today would be day 7. On Tuesday I had a light day and only worked out for 30min opposed to the 50-60 minutes I normally do. How important is it to have that rest day what is the harm in not taking one?

I don't want to take a rest day I am just not sure if I absolutely need one or if it's okay to not take one. HELP

shaunroberts · May 2015

Hi,
IMHO very important so is the need for rest weeks. Your body needs this time to recover and repair.

I have 1 rest day a week and one rest week every 7 weeks. Its amazing how much better you feel coming back to it after a week off. All those niggly little injuries feel better and you have much more energy!
Shaun.

rybo · May 2015

It all depends on what you do, how long you've been doing it, how old you are, how much sleep you get, etc etc.

Wolf81RS · May 2015

IMO if you are working different muscle groups each day a rest day is not 100% needed as the same muscle groups are not being targeted everyday. Also as Shaun said if training constantly hard for weeks, it would be a good idea to do a rest week.

Mrsallen6_11 · May 2015

Rest days are very important, they give the body and your muscles time to repair and recover. Being lightly active on your rest day is fine though. You can take light walks or do some yoga, anything that doesn't put to much strain on the body.

Breedy75 · May 2015

It depends on what your are doing. If you are putting out maximal effort day after day, doing heavy compound lifts, etc... Then a rest day is a good thing. If you're doing light aerobic exercises then it's less important. If you feel good then keep it up, listen to your body and remember that rest days are more than just for body

sijomial · May 2015

I look at it as recovery days rather than rest days. So it doesn't mean doing nothing. For me that could be walking or even a low intensity recovery ride on a cycle or indoor trainer. Swimming can be a great recovery activity.

A lot will depend on the intensity of your workout and not just the duration. You haven't actually said what your workout entails or if it's the same every time or your current or past fitness levels.

Remember your body is under stress from the calorie deficit to lose weight. Then you are adding a new stress of being "new to working out". You may find that as the weeks go by your fatigue levels will grow so try to be aware and not just push through soreness and fatigue.

999tigger · May 2015

Depends what you are doing and what intensity.... actually what sijomial said above.
I do one complete rest day min, but will also do lighter days depending on how I feel. From the listen to your body school of thought. The rest day is an important part of your regime for recovery.

Khukhullatus · May 2015

My personal opinion is that it sort of depends on what you mean by "rest day." A recovery day is a requirement for any muscle you've been strength training with, but you could easily organize your muscle groups so that you could lift every day and never work a muscle group two days in a row. As far as cardio is concerned, you never "need" a rest day, as long as there aren't any injuries or repetitive stress issues.

I take a "rest day" at least once a week where I don't hit the gym or lace up running shoes, but I still usually end up walking four or five miles on those days. A complete "do nothing" day, where you glue your butt to the couch, is never a good idea. I've had thousands, so I'm definitely a hypocrite, but if you can avoid them, you should avoid them.

Docbanana2002 · May 2015

When you work out intensely, it does microscopic damage to your muscles. Letting the muscles heal is how you get stronger. You are not getting stronger on your heavy lifting days or intense running days, but in the healing period after. So let yourself heal.

You don't have to take a complete rest day to do that, but at least build in some light exercise days and vary what muscle groups you are using from day to day. For example, let lower body rest while you work upper body. Or if you are a runner, have a walk or upper body day after an intense running day.

There also is the motivational factor to consider. Why not rest sometimes? Being healthy and fit is a lifestyle and must be sustainable. Many people who are new to it will jump in and work themselves into the ground and then give up when it gets boring or hard or they injure themselves. Learn to make being active and fit a balanced part of your everyday life, including resting sometimes so you can stay healthy and pursue other interests too.

AllanMisner · May 2015

Yes, take rest days.

But a rest day doesn’t mean bon bons on the couch. You can do active rest, walking, light bike riding, etc.

kjm3579 · May 2015

Not only should you take rest days, but it is also important to cycle your workouts so individual muscle groups have time to recover -- but like others have said, don't just become a couch potato on the rest days, keep moving......

cincysweetheart · May 2015

Rest days are important as they allow your body to recover. But there is such a thing as "active rest." I still take a 30 minute walk on my rest days.

jacksonpt · May 2015

IMO, there's a difference between rest days and recovery days.

Rest days I do little more than change position on the couch. *For me*, rest days are more mental than they are physical, but there is certainly a physical component to them, too.

Recovery days are purely physical, and will generally involve lower-impact/intensity work. I view it as being active, but not "training" or "working out". I'll go for an easy bike ride, swim, hike with my dog, shoot baskets with my son, that kind of thing. It keeps me moving, keeps my muscles loose, but isn't draining or taxing on my body.

Lastly, I will say that if you don't think you need a rest day, you probably don't. This is something you kind of learn as you work out and as you push your body harder. But IMO, if you're even remotely in tune with your body, you'll know when you need to dial it back a bit.

Docbanana2002 · May 2015

Okay, put me down as disagreeing with folks who say no "couch potato" days. Are they necessary for one's fitness or post workout recovery? Nope. Just like a brownie or slice of pizza isn't essential for ones nutrition. Just like taking a vacation isn't necessary for ones career progression

But these things can be good for mental health and recovery, in moderation. You can't make a career out of vacations, have good nutrition and weight management from just brownies (at least not the way I make them!), nor get from couch to 5k just sitting on the couch. You can't make a lifestyle from these indulgences which is what I once did. But sometimes taking a day or even weekend to watch TV and really relax is an important part of my mental health. I used to feel locked in an "all or nothing"mentality that led to my feeling guilty for this or even deciding I had failed if I wanted a rest day, but now I just see this as part of the normal ebb and flow of my energy level. As long as I don't stay on the couch, I'm good.

I had been fighting off a slight cold, overworked, and sleep deprived for a few weeks during a busy period at work...so I took a couch day on Wednesday. No work, no alarm clock, no house cleaning, no nothing but wasting time. Fitbit thought I was in a coma. I blew past maintenance on my food (but with healthy stuff so at least my nutrition was great). And you know what? I liked it. And the next day I ate a moderate breakfast and walked to work feeling refreshed and well and had a productive day. Sometimes you have to slow down and just be.

lmr0528 · May 2015

Rest days are very important for your body to recover from all the work that you have done recently. I think they are just as important as workout days. I don't ever plan for rest days. I just workout as many days as I can and use the days where my schedule makes it pretty difficult to workout, as my rest day.

melissastetler1 · May 2015

Thanks so much everyone! I am going to have a recovery day and take it light.

earlnabby · May 2015

I do strength work 3 days a week on alternate days so I see the days in between as rest days. I do cardio 6 days a week and take one day where I do no targeted exercise. It may mean laying on the couch binge watching something on Netflix or I may take a leisurely walk in the park or play volleyball with friends or something, but it is always slower and shorter than my active cardio.

I used to take Sundays as my rest days but now that it is warming up my hiking club plans some great hikes for Sundays and I take a different day. i used to think it had to be six-on-one-off but varying the rest day is working just as well.

Without planning to, I took a rest week a couple of weeks ago due to a family crisis and it seems like my body needed to catch up. I have been feeling stronger while working out after the rest week than before it.

JoRocka · May 2015

rest days are vital.

That's when you grow!!! secondly- if you get used to working out regularly (like 5-6 days a week) and then switch to a 3 a day program- it's a bit of a grindy weird transition- and you feel weird about it - like you're doing something wrong. If you just build rest days and that mentality into your regular workouts now-you'll be good to go!

Hannah220190 · May 2015

Certainly, as a rule I allow at least 48 hours between training the same muscle group again. It is really important to rest, stretching & foam rolling in between helps with my recovery!

peachyfuzzle · May 2015

I've found that my best days come after a hard four day week in the gym, and then a good 2-3 days rest where I do nothing other than some light walking, or maybe playing a round of golf. Whenever I have a PR, it's almost always the first day back at it.

Rest days...yes or no?

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