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What do you do on your rest days?

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Replies

  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    I don't have planned rest days. I keep going until my body tells me to rest and when that day comes I usually just do a dance class vs. double/triples.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    I train!

    Exactly! What are these rest days you speak of? :)

    "Rest days" for me are usually cardio or ab workout days.
  • ashorey87
    ashorey87 Posts: 173 Member
    Pout and think about the gym.
  • maranarasauce93
    maranarasauce93 Posts: 293 Member
    As of late my rest days consist of studying for my board exams. Blegh. Sometimes I'll do laundry though because I go through gym clothes like it's my job.
  • mengqiz86
    mengqiz86 Posts: 176 Member
    My rest day is on Friday so I can do some happy hours. Otherwise I get on the rower or bike and go at a medium pace. To me the rest day is more "mental" than physical because my training routine (running) is brutal and requires a lot of mental push. On rest days, when I get on the rower, I slow down whenever I wanted, pick it up when I felt like it. So I'm not pushing for a certain speed/distance. That helps me SO MUCH.
  • Tania_181
    Tania_181 Posts: 100 Member
    I alternate gym and rest days. On my rest days I just get on with my normal routine - work, household chores, socialising, tv. As I work from home some days that might mean I don't walk very far and other days we could be going for a hike on a weekend! I don't find resting affects my performance at the gym unless I've taken more than a few days off, at which point everything seems much harder.
  • anothermop
    anothermop Posts: 187 Member
    I always do something. I make Sunday's my rest day. I'll do P90X Stretch and/or go for a hike before I sit on my can all day watching football.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    miratps wrote: »
    What do you all do on rest days?

    I still do light walks and stretching, but nothing heavy. If the body needs it I'll even take a few days off in a row. I have found including better/more recovery time has been helpful overall physically and mentally.

  • kcjchang
    kcjchang Posts: 709 Member
    I follow the cyclist's golden rule on rest: why stand when you can sit and why sit when you can lay down. On light weeks (under 8 hours), I'll do one day of active recovery (within 4-24 hours of previous activity) and I'm good to go but I found that I need a full day of rest if I'm doing over 10 hours a week. I also insert a light week every three weeks. (Please also note, intensity plays a bigger factor than just the number of hours per week). I eat normal on rest days but have changed tack recently by eating less carbs. I plan my workout based on my historic performance (and to some extend on how I feel) relying heavily on Coggen's alternative (Performance Manager) to the Banister's impulse-response model to plan, track, and evaluate my fitness/fatigue. I have a power meter but one should be able to track using TRIMP (with HRM) or TriScore (running & swimming lap time) model without it.
  • BeeerRunner
    BeeerRunner Posts: 728 Member
    miratps wrote: »
    So I do a lot of cardio but want/need a rest day (not had for a long long time as I eat and then feel guilty) but am forcing myself to today. Question is, as I don't have one and its a weekend so I'm not even 'walking around doing normal stuff' not sure what I should do. Can I sit all day in front of a TV?

    What do you all do on rest days? Do you take complete rest days where you are lucky to move 5 inches or do you still deliberately try and be active? Also do you not fear your cardio/exercise performance etc. will suffer the following day or whenever you workout next?

    Edit: In addition, do you eat less on rest days? Does it make your appetite seem manageable?

    Fridays are usually my rest days. Sometimes I go for an easy walk, sometimes I might do a bit of yoga before bed, and sometimes I do no exercise at all. I run 5 days a week, do non running cardio once a week, and do weight training 2x. Therefore I have 2 days with cardio and weights on the same day. A rest day is definitely in order, and I find I have my best runs on Saturdays after that bit of rest.

    I don't think I could do a rest day on the weekend. I'd go bonkers. Lol! So, I work during the day, and either hang out with family/friends at night or veg, usually by reading or watching a movie.

    I typically stay within my calorie limits on my rest days. I'm at maintenance so I'm not trying to lose weight. If I go to dinner on my rest day (not common) I'll make it up throughout the week. Calories burned on a long run usually does the trick. ;)
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
    On rest days I do what ever the Hey I feel like just without the intensity of a workout. My walks are leisurely, my chores are done at a relaxed/normal pace, I only run to catch the napkin blowing away from the picnic, lifting is limited to that picnic basket...
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,862 Member
    Walk, dance.
This discussion has been closed.