Rest Days????

amandavictoria80
amandavictoria80 Posts: 734 Member
edited September 28 in Fitness and Exercise
I have heard many times that rest days are important. I workout every day for various amounts of time (feel free to view my exercise journal) on my elliptical mostly.
I know this sounds weird, but I have a very hard time taking a rest day and not working out at all. I literally feel bloated when I don't. I know it's probably in my mind but I can't help it. I just want this so bad. Trust me, it's not that I like to work out cause I don't. But I feel like if I don't workout my body will put on weight.

Should I be resting for a day? Just need some guidance. lol :) Thanks!!!!

Replies

  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    I believe you should give your body one day a week to rest. I do. However that said if you feel better not doing it then that is ok too. Whatever works for you.
  • Arizona_JR
    Arizona_JR Posts: 275
    YES! YOUR BODY NEEDS TO RECOVER FROM WORKING OUT.

    If you fail to let your body rest at least once a week, you may run into over-training, and associated symptoms: lack of energy, sickness, higher resting HR, mood swings, and so on.

    Now, having said that, there is such a thing as "active rest" - walks, yoga, stretching, and other light activities.

    So taking a day off doesn't mean sitting on the couch all day, it just means don't break a sweat. :wink:
  • amandavictoria80
    amandavictoria80 Posts: 734 Member
    YES! YOUR BODY NEEDS TO RECOVER FROM WORKING OUT.

    If you fail to let your body rest at least once a week, you may run into over-training, and associated symptoms: lack of energy, sickness, higher resting HR, mood swings, and so on.

    Now, having said that, there is such a thing as "active rest" - walks, yoga, stretching, and other light activities.

    So taking a day off doesn't mean sitting on the couch all day, it just means don't break a sweat. :wink:

    Thank you! :) Great way to put it.
  • slp2112
    slp2112 Posts: 107
    I would say yes as well - it's actually important for weight loss that your muscles have time to fully recover.

    That said, if you can't convince yourself to totally rest, maybe try something like baptiste or bikram yoga on one day instead of working out. The hot room will help you sweat out all the toxins you've been building up in your system, it'll force you to hydrate a lot, and if you do baptise - which is a lot less drill-seargent-y than bikram - you'll get some relaxation in. All while still burning calories :)
  • CheerfulMom4
    CheerfulMom4 Posts: 9 Member
    I find the same thing for myself. Days I don't excercise I also tend to eat a lot more. I just do something like as someone else said. Go for a walk, do my 10 minute pilates video, something like that.
  • alifer
    alifer Posts: 387 Member
    I usually force myself to take a rest day each week. If you are going to workout everyday alternate days. I do my strength training & elliptical on T, Th and S, walking/jogging on M, W, F.
  • Missashley9
    Missashley9 Posts: 29
    My sister has been losing weight for the last year and learned the importance of resting.... but only after getting 4 hairline fractures in one of her legs! You won't gain back all your weight by resting every few days. Furthermore, you will help reduce the chance for injuries. I am a very big girl so I am starting out slowly. I know-- because of how heavy I am currently-- if I were to try to work out ever single day, not only would I get burned out, but I could surely injure myself. Good luck!
  • kellyscomeback
    kellyscomeback Posts: 1,369 Member
    I do active rest days, I won't do a full, medium to high intensity workout but I'll go for a nice walk for an hour.
  • fsugirl26
    fsugirl26 Posts: 207
    I actually only drop weight after a rest day. I know it's hard to force yourself to not do anything when you're so ready to see the scale move, but my scale won't drop until the morning after letting my body rest for a full 24 hours...
  • angp7711
    angp7711 Posts: 324 Member
    I get scared when I miss a day of working out. My rest days usually come along because it was a day that I just couldn't fit it in. For me that ends up being about once a week but no more. I have fallen asleep at 9 with workout clothes on woken up two hrs later and popped in a video. Part of it is with my back I have to stay moving or things tighten up on me really quickly. All that being said I don't bring the same intensity every day. I have light days and I don't train heavy weigts on the same body parts on consecutive days. I think you have to listen to your body and treat it well.
  • YellowStrawberry
    YellowStrawberry Posts: 89 Member
    I find it hard to rest if I do NOT have to rest. When I was sick, yes, I rested. If I feel like I have to do something, I do a lighter elliptical. I just cannot go a day without doing anything!! I need to sweat!! lol However, some days in a row, I may only have 30 min of elliptical, so I do not feel that I am over doing anything.
  • amandavictoria80
    amandavictoria80 Posts: 734 Member
    I find it hard to rest if I do NOT have to rest. When I was sick, yes, I rested. If I feel like I have to do something, I do a lighter elliptical. I just cannot go a day without doing anything!! I need to sweat!! lol However, some days in a row, I may only have 30 min of elliptical, so I do not feel that I am over doing anything.

    This is what I have decided. I am the same. I just can not go a day without working out at all. So, I thought I could do light exercise for shorter time and consider that a "rest", since it isn't the normal exercising where I would push myself hard.

    Thanks! :)
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