I'm tired. How often should I rest, and how often do I need

I'm no expert, but my neighbor who is very fit swears by 2 days on 1 day off.

I rest for 1 day a week but I've been training consistently for 5 years now.

Generally when you are starting out it is better to ease into it than rush head first. You will get sick lots and burn out otherwise. Try doing 3 strength sessions, 2 cardio, and 2 days rest and over a few months you can build up to another cardio session. As long as you have at least 1 day off

Do not take a second day off... suck it up. That said, pick cardio exercises that you can do without hurting yourself too much... low speed walking on the treadmill, an exercise bike, minor elliptical time, etc.

Get your progress in so you don't get discouraged.... keep the forward momentum, just tone it down when it is getting to be too much.

Everyone is different. I think the most common is probably 5 days a week with 2 days off but thats definetly not the case for everyone. Just remember that if you push yourself too hard and strain or pull a muscle or any other injury, you could be rehabbing an injury for a week or 2. An extra day off here and there is a LOT better than a week or two off.

It all depends on your body. Many people do 6 days a week with just one rest day. I typically have to have 2 rest days, spaced out, not all together. What I Have found though, for the weeks that I go full force..doing a light workout is just as helpful as a rest day. For example, a simple yoga session or a walk or my p90x stretch videos (sometimes just ½ the video) are good light workouts that I can do on the days my body cries for a rest, but I want to go full force for the week.

If your workouts are making you really tired, maybe you need to fuel them more completely? My doctor recommends eating/drinking something containing both carbs and protein, no more than 10 minutes before your workout. Then make sure you have something with protein again immediately afterwards. That keeps your metabolism going strong throughout, and will keep you from crashing & being completely exhausted when you're done.

As for whether to skip a day, just listen to your body. If you think you could handle a milder workout instead, go for it. If your body really needs the rest, give it that rest. Don't feel guilty; everyone's body is different and you just have to do what's best for you.

When I first started, I did three days a week and have worked up. I still rest at LEAST one day a week, and sometimes my exercise is a nice quiet walk or bike ride, sometimes it's a nine mile run. Depends on the day, my mood, what I'm hoping to accomplish. Sometimes I feel the need to punch something so I hit the gym and lift weights! I know it doesn't seem like I have a routine, and maybe I'm not super focused, but right now my goal is a healthy lifestyle, not a swimsuit competition!!! LOL! Seriously, rest if you're super tired. It's not worth injuring yourself which you can tend to do when you're tired. Good form is best. That said, if you can manage, walk around the block or something. You'll feel like you accomplished something for the day and won't hurt even more tomorrow. Just keep moving!

I agree with some of the posters who previously stated that you should rest && the posters that said you could do something very light today in lieu of working yourself extra hard. 6 days a week of intensity that makes you sore and tired seems a bit excessive. You won't reach your goals if you're constantly exhausted, eventually it starts working against you. On days when I planned to work out but wake up feeling exhausted and/or sore or just plain too grumpy, I do simple things like go for a walk or pop in a Leslie Sansone DVD (at a low volume if I'm already crabby!) and count that as a workout. As long as I don't do that multiple days in a row, it's fine and I manage to keep any soreness or exhaustion in check. It seems to work way better than pushing myself every day - I'm generally in a better mood, I feel stronger while not feeling like jelly, and that tired feeling doesn't follow me around nearly as much as it would without listening to my body. Good luck!