Rest days - will my fitness suffer?
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shesthetype
Posts: 45 Member
Does anyone else feel guilty over their rest day? I'm happy with my weight so my exercise is toning/strength training one day, cardio the next, etc. I work out 6 days a week and I'd like to have 2 rest days but I feel bad enough just having 1 rest day. It probably sounds silly but I worry my cardiovascular fitness and muscle tone will go backwards if I have 2 rest days (2 days spread apart, ie Wed and Sun). Does anyone else get the guilts? Am I being paranoid that my fitness will suffer if I take 2 rest days per week? Thanks for any input
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Replies
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Rest days are when your muscles grow stronger so, no, you don't lose fitness or tone having 2 rest days a week.4
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I earn my rest days, so no, no guilt here
I find if you're doing a lot of different stuff or rep ranges you can get away with one rest day. If you work the same muscle groups or don't have control over your workouts to a degree (I'm thinking of contact sports here because I can never control where I'm going to be sore after a game) then you might need more than one. Your workout routine should always match your fitness goals and that includes programming rest days and deloads. 0 -
Rest days are part of a decent training programme
I would feel guilty if I didn't take them
I would also feel drained, unwell and would not get the fitness gains3 -
Thank you for your replies. My workouts consist of lots of Fitness Blender strength training and toning videos and running, ie, one day I'll do butt and thighs toning with weights, 25 minute run the next day, total body weight training the day after, etc. I mix it up a lot.
My goal is to maintain my weight (55kgs), improve my running distance and time (can do 7km in about 20 to 25 minutes at the moment, I LOVE running), keep the muscle tone I have and tone up more in general. Not weight loss as I'm already at goal weight.
Again thanks for your replies. It's great to be able to get advice from others about this stuff 0 -
I workout 5x and rest 2x. I break this up as 3 training days, 1 rest day, 2 training days, 1 rest day.
My workouts are 20 mins treadmill with handweights + 20 mins strength + 30 mins treadmill incline, for a total of 70 mins a day. I rotate my strength training each day to focus on a different area, but always throw in some abs!
I use my rest days to do other stuff like cleaning, laundry, walking into town for groceries, etc. So whilst I am not 'training' that day, I am still very active. I could not sit on my butt during a rest day. I would go out of my mind!!
I have pushed it too far before and injured myself, so I know rest days are important for your body to recharge & repair. Just try and find a balance that works for you personally 3 -
Try to think of it the other way round - Your fitness\Muscle will suffer MORE if you DON'T rest.
Rest days are growing days - or, in the case of those who are not eating enough to gain weight\Muscle, they are the bodies repairing days. You need them to allow sufficent rest\recovery. It will allow for better quality training session next time.
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CarlKRobbo wrote: »Try to think of it the other way round - Your fitness\Muscle will suffer MORE if you DON'T rest.
Rest days are growing days - or, in the case of those who are not eating enough to gain weight\Muscle, they are the bodies repairing days. You need them to allow sufficent rest\recovery. It will allow for better quality training session next time.
^^This.
The golden motto is...
Work out hard. Rest harder.2 -
CarlKRobbo wrote: »Try to think of it the other way round - Your fitness\Muscle will suffer MORE if you DON'T rest.
Rest days are growing days - or, in the case of those who are not eating enough to gain weight\Muscle, they are the bodies repairing days. You need them to allow sufficent rest\recovery. It will allow for better quality training session next time.
Exactly this. I used to train hard six days a week and thought I was recovering just fine. The rest of my schedule forced a switch to five days, and I noticed how much more recovered I was and then I just kept the five a week schedule even though most weeks time wise I could train 6.1 -
I like active recovery. So those days would consist of a nice walk or some yoga. I move everyday, but you should NEVER feel guilty for a rest day! You could take two days in a row and you wouldn't lose your progress. I am a firm believer in listening to my body!!2
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I think if you are pushing yourself in your workouts you will want a rest day. I do 30 mins strength and 40 mins of HIIT, 5 days a week. I won't feel a single shred of guilt for taking a rest day today. I'm going to cut my calories to 1,200 as opposed to the usual 1,500 and enjoy letting my muscles recover.1
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That motto is most applicable if one is working out 20-30 or more hours a week and at maximal a few sessions in a week, but for the rest of us it depends. Vast recreationals and amateurs really don't train that hard. Most of us will crack mentality before hitting our physical limitations.
OP, listen to your body.0 -
I actually added a rest day. I was working out six days a week and I was always sore and tired. Adding another day has made the world of difference for me.
I do still try to hit my step goal on rest days, but nothing harder than a walk with my kids or strolling on the treadmill as I read a book.
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Yes! Totally! Like you and many others here i earn my off days but that doesnt mean my ocd brain doesnt make me feel like i could be doing something to further my fitness when in reality resting IS furthering my fitness. Its the drive and mental focus of a goal oriented person that does this. You know that you need rest to continue your gains so do what you know is right and enjoy your off days.3
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Um... your fitness will suffer if you don't take rest days. There is lots of info on this site & Web in general about fitness regimes & the importance of rest. Rest can be active rest, such as walking or an easy bike ride. You don't have to lay on the couch all day. Arm yourself with the FACTS and there will be no need for a guilt trip!1
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rest days do help prevent injuries. I agree with the folks that said take them-but do some yoga or gentle walks. A rest does does not have to be doing nothing.2
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20 minute 7k?
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I think rest days are most important for people who lift heavy, when you lift heavy you are damaging muscle fibers that need time to repair. I don't think it is quite as important for cardio, when I was training for my half marathon I only had 1 rest day a week and that was even pretty active with decent hikes and walks.
Now I run 6 miles 3 days a week, lift heavy 3 days a week and get one day off. Sometimes it doesn't feel like it is enough but I will say that I have never regretted doing my workouts, but I have regretted skipping them...1 -
There are two variables that are in a balancing act against each other:
* Fitness.
* Freshness, if you ran a marathon yesterday you've got great fitness, but you're going to be exhausted today.
When you have both, you're in great form.
Doing exercise (strength or intense cardio) makes you more fit but less fresh. Rest makes you more fresh but less fit. You gain freshness much faster than you lose fitness.
It doesn't have to be guesswork. You can use the performance management chart to visualize your fitness vs freshness. Then you can see in a very intuitive way when you need more rest and when you need more training stress.1 -
I make it a habit to have one rest day each week. So far I've been making huge gains in strength, so there's no way that rest day is having a negative effect.0
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