Walking - How important are rest days?
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By and large, people don't need a rest day from walking. There are exceptions, of course, but walking -- while totally worthwhile -- is one of the more low-effort, less demanding, and less efficient forms of exercise. Most of the time, it pretty much borders on just regular activity.
Again, there are exceptions. Walking with a weighted vest, for example. Or walking for hours on end. Or situations where someone is highly overweight, has plantar fasciitis, and so forth.
One thing to remember is that walking, which certainly worthwhile, ultimately has very limited benefits for overall fitness. So even if you don't need a rest say for walking, if you want to get in shape -- or even if you just want to shed some pounds -- one should preferably work up to doing more demanding activities that DO require a greater amount of rest.
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If you're feeling worn out, or something hurts, take a rest day. Even walking causes wear and tear on your body. You're in this for long term results, not to burn out.0
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Using my fit bit for little over a week trying to get in 10000 steps a day. Hitting most days of the week, however I have a herniated disc with sciatica that I am trying to get healed. But my sciatica is flared really bad I was up longer Sunday than I could handle apparently so my last two days have been rest days with goal set at 5000 steps. Today I surpassed so I bumped to 10000 but doubt I will reach the goal.
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Great work by the way.0
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By and large, people don't need a rest day from walking. There are exceptions, of course, but walking -- while totally worthwhile -- is one of the more low-effort, less demanding, and less efficient forms of exercise. Most of the time, it pretty much borders on just regular activity.
Again, there are exceptions. Walking with a weighted vest, for example. Or walking for hours on end. Or situations where someone is highly overweight, has plantar fasciitis, and so forth.
One thing to remember is that walking, which certainly worthwhile, ultimately has very limited benefits for overall fitness. So even if you don't need a rest say for walking, if you want to get in shape -- or even if you just want to shed some pounds -- one should preferably work up to doing more demanding activities that DO require a greater amount of rest.
I really, really dislike when people diss walking. A good brisk walk that lasts for a while has plenty of fitness benefits. Daily brisk walking as part of an overall health/fitness plan? It's safe and sustainable cardio-vascular activity that's suitable for all ages. It helps raise your overall TDEE, it helps keep your bones strong, it also has a part to play in disease prevention.
I'm not talking about just strolling along here. Most of us who walk for exercise go at it with arms pumping and legs really moving FAST. I'm a foot shorter than my husband and he can't keep up with me. It used to be the other way around.
Walking isn't the only exercise I do, but I sure enjoy a lot of time I spend exercising doing it.
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I don't take rest days from walking. I do at least 5 miles every day unless life happens to intervene.
Rest days are from my normal workouts and I take 1 or 2 of those per week depending on how I feel.0 -
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PeachyCarol wrote: »By and large, people don't need a rest day from walking. There are exceptions, of course, but walking -- while totally worthwhile -- is one of the more low-effort, less demanding, and less efficient forms of exercise. Most of the time, it pretty much borders on just regular activity.
Again, there are exceptions. Walking with a weighted vest, for example. Or walking for hours on end. Or situations where someone is highly overweight, has plantar fasciitis, and so forth.
One thing to remember is that walking, which certainly worthwhile, ultimately has very limited benefits for overall fitness. So even if you don't need a rest say for walking, if you want to get in shape -- or even if you just want to shed some pounds -- one should preferably work up to doing more demanding activities that DO require a greater amount of rest.
I really, really dislike when people diss walking. A good brisk walk that lasts for a while has plenty of fitness benefits. Daily brisk walking as part of an overall health/fitness plan? It's safe and sustainable cardio-vascular activity that's suitable for all ages. It helps raise your overall TDEE, it helps keep your bones strong, it also has a part to play in disease prevention.
I'm not talking about just strolling along here. Most of us who walk for exercise go at it with arms pumping and legs really moving FAST. I'm a foot shorter than my husband and he can't keep up with me. It used to be the other way around.
Walking isn't the only exercise I do, but I sure enjoy a lot of time I spend exercising doing it.
NOBODY is dissing walking. Perhaps you missed the parts where I said that it is totally worthwhile. The reality, however, is that compared to other forms of exercise, its benefits are indeed quite limited.
Like it or not, its benefits are most certainly limited in comparison to other forms of exercise. It does almost nothing for strength, agility, or flexibility. It can help with cardiovascular endurance, but these benefits are modest in comparison to, say, running, jogging, boxing, boot camp work, and so forth.
Am I saying that walking is worthless? NOT AT ALL... but overall, it's among the less effective forms of exercise, which is why rest days are seldom necessary. Reality is not going to change just because people want it to.0 -
Walking - How important are rest days?
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PeachyCarol wrote: »By and large, people don't need a rest day from walking. There are exceptions, of course, but walking -- while totally worthwhile -- is one of the more low-effort, less demanding, and less efficient forms of exercise. Most of the time, it pretty much borders on just regular activity.
Again, there are exceptions. Walking with a weighted vest, for example. Or walking for hours on end. Or situations where someone is highly overweight, has plantar fasciitis, and so forth.
One thing to remember is that walking, which certainly worthwhile, ultimately has very limited benefits for overall fitness. So even if you don't need a rest say for walking, if you want to get in shape -- or even if you just want to shed some pounds -- one should preferably work up to doing more demanding activities that DO require a greater amount of rest.
I really, really dislike when people diss walking. A good brisk walk that lasts for a while has plenty of fitness benefits. Daily brisk walking as part of an overall health/fitness plan? It's safe and sustainable cardio-vascular activity that's suitable for all ages. It helps raise your overall TDEE, it helps keep your bones strong, it also has a part to play in disease prevention.
I'm not talking about just strolling along here. Most of us who walk for exercise go at it with arms pumping and legs really moving FAST. I'm a foot shorter than my husband and he can't keep up with me. It used to be the other way around.
Walking isn't the only exercise I do, but I sure enjoy a lot of time I spend exercising doing it.
NOBODY is dissing walking. Perhaps you missed the parts where I said that it is totally worthwhile. The reality, however, is that compared to other forms of exercise, its benefits are indeed quite limited.
Like it or not, its benefits are most certainly limited in comparison to other forms of exercise. It does almost nothing for strength, agility, or flexibility. It can help with cardiovascular endurance, but these benefits are modest in comparison to, say, running, jogging, boxing, boot camp work, and so forth.
Am I saying that walking is worthless? NOT AT ALL... but overall, it's among the less effective forms of exercise, which is why rest days are seldom necessary. Reality is not going to change just because people want it to.
Okay, gotcha. I agree rest days are not NEEDED from walking... except for new exercisers or those with extenuating medical conditions. In those cases they might be.
Sorry for the misunderstanding. Walking sometimes gets a bad rap around here and I personally love how meditative it can be.
For background, I walked out of my house a little over a year ago with a cane and hobbled down to the corner and back. Now I can do (on a good day) 15 1/2 minute miles over 5.5 miles and am on week 4 of C25K. I also water jog and do strength training.
Walking can lead you to incredible places, and will always have a place in my daily activity.
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PeachyCarol wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »By and large, people don't need a rest day from walking. There are exceptions, of course, but walking -- while totally worthwhile -- is one of the more low-effort, less demanding, and less efficient forms of exercise. Most of the time, it pretty much borders on just regular activity.
Again, there are exceptions. Walking with a weighted vest, for example. Or walking for hours on end. Or situations where someone is highly overweight, has plantar fasciitis, and so forth.
One thing to remember is that walking, which certainly worthwhile, ultimately has very limited benefits for overall fitness. So even if you don't need a rest say for walking, if you want to get in shape -- or even if you just want to shed some pounds -- one should preferably work up to doing more demanding activities that DO require a greater amount of rest.
I really, really dislike when people diss walking. A good brisk walk that lasts for a while has plenty of fitness benefits. Daily brisk walking as part of an overall health/fitness plan? It's safe and sustainable cardio-vascular activity that's suitable for all ages. It helps raise your overall TDEE, it helps keep your bones strong, it also has a part to play in disease prevention.
I'm not talking about just strolling along here. Most of us who walk for exercise go at it with arms pumping and legs really moving FAST. I'm a foot shorter than my husband and he can't keep up with me. It used to be the other way around.
Walking isn't the only exercise I do, but I sure enjoy a lot of time I spend exercising doing it.
NOBODY is dissing walking. Perhaps you missed the parts where I said that it is totally worthwhile. The reality, however, is that compared to other forms of exercise, its benefits are indeed quite limited.
Like it or not, its benefits are most certainly limited in comparison to other forms of exercise. It does almost nothing for strength, agility, or flexibility. It can help with cardiovascular endurance, but these benefits are modest in comparison to, say, running, jogging, boxing, boot camp work, and so forth.
Am I saying that walking is worthless? NOT AT ALL... but overall, it's among the less effective forms of exercise, which is why rest days are seldom necessary. Reality is not going to change just because people want it to.
Okay, gotcha. I agree rest days are not NEEDED from walking... except for new exercisers or those with extenuating medical conditions. In those cases they might be.
Sorry for the misunderstanding. Walking sometimes gets a bad rap around here and I personally love how meditative it can be.
For background, I walked out of my house a little over a year ago with a cane and hobbled down to the corner and back. Now I can do (on a good day) 15 1/2 minute miles over 5.5 miles and am on week 4 of C25K. I also water jog and do strength training.
Walking can lead you to incredible places, and will always have a place in my daily activity.
@PeachyCarol I love hearing your story! So well done!
I've got foot problems so I won't be running, but I barely managed 3,000 steps a day at the start of the year and now my most recent personal best was 22,000. I'm pretty happy with that. I also climbed a 300 m tall mountain in July.
I've increased my walking bit by bit since April. So I guess I'm fairly new to being an "active" walker, hence my possible need for an easy day once in a while.0 -
wow! i Normally walk about 50 minutes or so at a brisk pace and i feel it is a workout. I sweat a bit. Can't imagine walking that many steps everyday! i'd be wiped out0
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christinev297 wrote: »I walk a minimum of 20,000 steps most days, up to 29,000ish, I cant crack the 30,000! I've (my body) never felt the need for a rest day.... yet.
I just can't believe it. I remember you saying this in a thread maybe a month ago and i still can't wrap my head around it. Here i am thinking about my poor sore calves and i walk just under an hour a day., and have been keeping this up regularly for at least a couple months0 -
I've increased my walking bit by bit since April. So I guess I'm fairly new to being an "active" walker, hence my possible need for an easy day once in a while.
It is worth remembering that rest days are as much giving your body a chance to deal with accumulated stress over time, only one of which may be exercise or activity related.
Dieting is stress on the body. Exercise is stress on the body. A tight work deadline is stress on the body. The demands of family life is stress on the body. If a person does not allow the body a chance to deal with this accumulation then the likelihood is compromising recovery ability leading to poor performance, injury or illness.
The fact that you, or anyone, needs some rest even with walking does not surprise me one iota. You know what feedback your body is giving you. If you need to rest, then rest and by god enjoy it because you have earned it!
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I've increased my walking bit by bit since April. So I guess I'm fairly new to being an "active" walker, hence my possible need for an easy day once in a while.
It is worth remembering that rest days are as much giving your body a chance to deal with accumulated stress over time, only one of which may be exercise or activity related.
Dieting is stress on the body. Exercise is stress on the body. A tight work deadline is stress on the body. The demands of family life is stress on the body. If a person does not allow the body a chance to deal with this accumulation then the likelihood is compromising recovery ability leading to poor performance, injury or illness.
The fact that you, or anyone, needs some rest even with walking does not surprise me one iota. You know what feedback your body is giving you. If you need to rest, then rest and by god enjoy it because you have earned it!
Thank you very much!
I've become quite fond of the extra calories that lots of steps (over 15,000) gives me to eat, but I can certainly handle 10,000 step days.
When the challenge of Steptember ((10,000 or more a day) and trying to beat others at work who are doing it) is over, I'll certainly enjoy some even lower days at the end of it!
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robertw486 wrote: »Listen to your body.
If in doubt leave it out...
This. There are a load of factors that should influence if you take a day of rest. Fitness level, other activity, nutrition, how much sleep you got, what and when you ate, etc, etc.
Any of us can burn huge calories at just about any activity for consecutive days. But doing it when you are tired is more of a thing to be done when you have to do it, not by choice. If you need a rest day, take a rest day.
Just wanted to say thank you for this post. Nicely said, @robertw486 .0 -
christinev297 wrote: »I walk a minimum of 20,000 steps most days, up to 29,000ish, I cant crack the 30,000! I've (my body) never felt the need for a rest day.... yet.
I just can't believe it. I remember you saying this in a thread maybe a month ago and i still can't wrap my head around it. Here i am thinking about my poor sore calves and i walk just under an hour a day., and have been keeping this up regularly for at least a couple months
It's taken me a few months to work up to that many.
You should see some of the fitbit challenges I'm in, there's quite a few people who hit 40,000+ steps every single day! I've got no hope of winning
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40K??? I've hit 30K in a day (some of that was water jogging, though). I can't imagine.0
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Walking has a great rep on here, ive never seen it slates at all and is the go to starting exercise.
+1 to the listen to your body. You are walking a lot. Other people arent in your body nor are they doing the regime you are doing.
If you find you are really fatigued then take a rest, if you feel fine, then carry on.0 -
I've been averaging 20k steps since the beginning of the year. I walk when I want to take a rest from biking, running, working out and other more strenuous activities. Even my vacation is walking in different parts of the world as sight seeing.0
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christinev297 wrote: »christinev297 wrote: »I walk a minimum of 20,000 steps most days, up to 29,000ish, I cant crack the 30,000! I've (my body) never felt the need for a rest day.... yet.
I just can't believe it. I remember you saying this in a thread maybe a month ago and i still can't wrap my head around it. Here i am thinking about my poor sore calves and i walk just under an hour a day., and have been keeping this up regularly for at least a couple months
It's taken me a few months to work up to that many.
You should see some of the fitbit challenges I'm in, there's quite a few people who hit 40,000+ steps every single day! I've got no hope of winning
I average more than 40k/day, it is pretty easy if you run a >10miles run and walk about 2.5 hours per day
I wish I kenw how other people average 100k per month!
Sunday I run 24 miles, then at least 3 hours of walking, and I stopped at 53k
anyway, no rest for walking
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christinev297 wrote: »I walk a minimum of 20,000 steps most days, up to 29,000ish, I cant crack the 30,000! I've (my body) never felt the need for a rest day.... yet.
How do you fit 20,000 - 29,000 steps into your day every day? Do you work?
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christinev297 wrote: »I walk a minimum of 20,000 steps most days, up to 29,000ish, I cant crack the 30,000! I've (my body) never felt the need for a rest day.... yet.
How do you fit 20,000 - 29,000 steps into your day every day? Do you work?
I work from part time from home, so have plenty of time. We have a huge yard so I don't need to leave home to do it. I do 3,000 step blocks at a time, every 45 minutes-60 minutes or so.
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I don't count steps, but I do count distance, and I have walked or cycled or done some other activity every day since I started here in mid-Feb ...
Except for ...
-- a day right at the beginning of July when I was flying back to Australia from Canada. You lose a day there so my tracking is off a bit.
-- a few days mid-March when I was sick with the flu.
However, I do vary the intensity and duration of whatever I do. Some days, I might just walk 1 km ... other days I might cycle 100 km.
It helps that part of my commute to and from work is walking. So most weeks, I walk 5 days a week just to get where I'm going.0 -
Rest days are really only when you feel so sore that you can't imagine going to the gym.
Otherwise, stop making excuses. It's really that simple.0 -
Thanks very much!
I hear people talking about rest days a lot, but maybe they're all talking about running or lifting!
you need rest from vigorous activity....
i still walk on my rest days...walking is not a vigorous activity.
rest allows for recovery and muscle repair...you're really not breaking down much walking.
that said, listen to your body...if you need some rest take some rest...rest shouldn't be seen as this negative thing. it's important to overall fitness.0
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