Christmas Day - rest day or not?

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miratps
miratps Posts: 141 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So those who exercise daily/often, will you be resting on Christmas Day or will you be working out in the mornings?

I've not had a rest day in months and am considering actually sleeping past 5 for once and not moving at all but as I've not done it for months, I am also dreading it!
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  • Savagedistraction
    Savagedistraction Posts: 312 Member
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    nope
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,287 Member
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    If you're going to feel guilty or have dread. get up at five in the morning and workout.. no one else will be up.. so you won't be missed. It is a personal choice.
  • miratps
    miratps Posts: 141 Member
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    SLLeask wrote: »
    Having a rest day is something you are dreading? That's not a healthy mindset! It's Christmas, enjoy it for goodness sake, it's just one day. Not exercising for the day would probably actually do you some good if you've been exercising daily for months - even elite athletes take a day off now and then. Even if you sit on the sofa and eat turkey and Christmas pud all day, it won't undo the hard work you've put in - honest!
    elisa123gal wrote: »
    If you're going to feel guilty or have dread. get up at five in the morning and workout.. no one else will be up.. so you won't be missed. It is a personal choice.

    I think I NEED a rest but the guilt is making me feel bad cos I'm not used to it. Body is in constant pain and I have got into a bad habit of doing crazy amount of exercise then binge eating at night as I save my calories till then. To the point I can have 3 mega meals, fit them with ease in my goal and still maintain, if not lose weight which I should no longer be doing.

    Its trying to get into the mindset 'its OK to rest/recover, I won't turn into a balloon again overnight'
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 888 Member
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    Long steady dog walk to balance
    Out the huge Christmas dinner
  • squarewheels66
    squarewheels66 Posts: 25 Member
    edited December 2016
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    You shouldn't be in constant pain. Combined with guilt over not exercising and what sounds like binging sound like ED territory.

    I don't see the point of exercise without a goal in mind. If you set a concrete goal (a race of some kind I'd suggest) and follow a programme to achieve the goal, hopefully your relationship with food and exercise might change - ie. become obsessional in a good way ;) You'll bee training with a purpose rather than locked in a cycle.

    I love food and consider myself a bit of a gourmet and I've always used exercise to try and out train a calorific diet and I've come pretty late to the more sensible approach of good diet first after failing to control weight year on year.

    I have very few days of total rest and definitely bank exercise cals to have a drink or two and/or a more indulgent meal. However I follow a careful plan of 80/20 easy/hard - easy is really easy HR ave 120-130 on a run or bike ride. 2 sessions of challenging (for me) but fairly pathetic lifting a week. I don't get fatigued or muscle aches/DOMS. I put this down to building it up gradually, balance between hard and easy and fuelling and refuelling sensibly.

    I have specific goals in mind - serious ski touring trips in spring and a half marathon in Feb as a subsidiary goal to prepare me for the challenges of touring.

    Hope this helps
  • derekgolding
    derekgolding Posts: 28 Member
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    I am always up early and have a chronic lung problem, so I am still planning on a 10 mile walk tomorrow morning then home in time to open presents with my family. Merry Christmas to you all.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    You need to see a doctor and get some help. Stop exercising until you've seen them
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,878 Member
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    I will, of course, be exercising. :)

    Hopefully a bit of cycling and probably some walking. If it is hot enough, maybe even a swim!
  • kejw08
    kejw08 Posts: 61 Member
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    My normal rest day is Sunday so since x-mas happens to fall on Sunday, I will rest. If it was on any other day of the week I would workout like normal. Since you haven't had a rest day in months I highly recommend taking it off. Not because it's Christmas, but because our bodies need a break once in a while.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Omg just rest. Why put so much energy in making the decision? I am resting on Christmas day.
  • wholenewme03
    wholenewme03 Posts: 95 Member
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    Rest day. My family gets up super early to do presents (we're like little kids!) then the day is packed with family and friends. If I exercise, I'll be inconveniencing my loved ones who will have to wait for me to do a workout. That is not the point of Christmas. I'm going to enjoy the day, be thankful for all that my body can do for me, and rest easy knowing that one day is not going to make or break me.
  • miratps
    miratps Posts: 141 Member
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    Thanks all for the concern, I do understand it is distorted thinking/behaviour hence why I am practically forcing myself to do nothing tomorrow but enjoy a lie in and spend time with the family eating and laughing. There will be moments of guilt but I think I need to push through.....or if I do exercise it will be a crawl around the block and that's it to the only grocery shop open!
  • miratps
    miratps Posts: 141 Member
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    derekgolding wrote: »
    I am always up early and have a chronic lung problem, so I am still planning on a 10 mile walk tomorrow morning then home in time to open presents with my family. Merry Christmas to you all.

    Merry Christmas for tomorrow!

    His long does it take you to do the walk?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,170 Member
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    miratps wrote: »
    Thanks all for the concern, I do understand it is distorted thinking/behaviour hence why I am practically forcing myself to do nothing tomorrow but enjoy a lie in and spend time with the family eating and laughing. There will be moments of guilt but I think I need to push through.....or if I do exercise it will be a crawl around the block and that's it to the only grocery shop open!

    Think of the rest day as a Christmas gift to your better, future self . . . then accept the gift gratefully.

    Commit in the new year to a healthier relationship with exercise and food, both of which should be a source of pleasure, not guilt, pain, excess or deprivation. As others suggest, consult a professional to help you get on a solid path - a therapist with relevant expertise is no different than a trainer at the gym, helping you achieve goals of healthy and happiness more quickly and easily.

    Merry Christmas!

    (I'm celebrating on Christmas eve, which will be a rest day and a feast. Christmas will be a quiet day at home; I may work out - haven't decided.)
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
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    miratps wrote: »
    So those who exercise daily/often, will you be resting on Christmas Day or will you be working out in the mornings?

    I've not had a rest day in months and am considering actually sleeping past 5 for once and not moving at all but as I've not done it for months, I am also dreading it!

    No rest day in months? :#

    In terms of days, Sunday is just another day. How you structure your activities and plans is up to you. Some open gifts the night before, some on Sunday morning. Some celebrate with a Christmas Eve dinner, some with a Christmas Day dinner. Some go to church. Some do not. Some sleep in. Some don't sleep in. Working in a scheduled routine of exercise will work for some based on their plans. For others, it won't fit in due to plans. Not everyone celebrates Christmas.

    I had a scheduled 4 hour bike ride for Sunday, but swapped it with Thursday and did the 4 hour ride on Thursday and will do a 1 1/2 - 2 hour ride on Sunday (which fits into my plans for the day).

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