Rest days?

kstreit1997
kstreit1997 Posts: 5 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all :)
I am wondering the opinion on rest days that y'all have. I workout 5-6x a week but the days I don't workout I self sabotage myself that I should be working out and get frustrated with myself. How many times do you work out and have a rest day?
Thanks!

Replies

  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    i just got a new puppy who generally goes to work with me so im having to figure out a new plan (too cold for him to sit in a car in the sub dawn hours right now lol)

    i used to go M-F and not on the weekends.

    I think now I'll probably do 2 or 3 days a week (leaving puppy at home with the big dogs) and then go on the weekends. which kinda sucks, because the gym IS on my way to work, but not near my home (half an hour away). ill do it, cause thats my only option, but not looking forward to it.

    find what works best for you and go with it.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I exercise daily because that is my preference. I don't work out with the same intensity every day, I give myself lighter days when I'm feeling fatigued or I've been at it harder, and I make sure to give my muscles time to recover after resistance training.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    edited January 2018
    I lift weights 4-5x per week. I need my rest days to recover and progress.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,743 Member
    A rest day can be a day with lighter activity that doesn't stress the same muscles, joints, etc. as your main activity. They get stronger by resting on the rest days. Muscles especially need time to heal. Without it they will not get stronger.

    My main activity is running. ATM I am running 5 days a week. On my off days I may go for a short hike, or if it's cold, ride my stationary bike. I'll do yoga or pilates. I walk seven days a week with the dog but that's slow and easy so doesn't stress my body. Rest days are a good time to run errands or clean the house or do some more time-consuming cooking.
  • MichelleWithMoxie
    MichelleWithMoxie Posts: 1,817 Member
    edited January 2018
    I run 7 days a week, lift 3 days.

    ETA: I never feel the need to rest from cardio, but strength training requires rest days.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    I lift weights 4-5x per week. I need my rest days to recovery and progress.

    Yep.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    I lift weights 4-5x per week. I need my rest days to recovery and progress.

    Yep.

    Ack I just fixed the grammar but you quoted it so now it's there forever and ever.. haha :D:p
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    I think it depends on the type of workout. Some exercises can safely be done every day and some require periods of rest.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    edited January 2018
    3x week of high intensity ("high" by my standards) seems to be my sweet spot right now. Sometimes I try to do more, but I just don't recover that well/quickly at this point in my life. Low intensity stuff I don't consider exercise, but can be done pretty regularly/daily.
  • fatguitarist
    fatguitarist Posts: 25 Member
    MichSmish wrote: »
    I run 7 days a week, lift 3 days.

    ETA: I never feel the need to rest from cardio, but strength training requires rest days.

    Have you ever been injured from running so much? How far do you run every day?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Depends on what you're doing. If I'm actively training for an event, the training volume gets to the point where I need rest days to recover. If I'm just riding and lifting for fitness, I don't really need a true rest day other than making sure I'm not lifting on consecutive days and varying ride intensities...like I'll throw in a recovery ride or two that is done at a fairly low intensity for a short distance...like a 20K or something.

    Also, I might just take a day off from riding and do something else I enjoy like hiking or rock climbing or something.
  • THeADHDTurnip
    THeADHDTurnip Posts: 413 Member
    Mine are 3x a week. I enjoy going heavy so for the most part I need the rest in between days.

    Broscience says, it's not a rest for me, it's a rest for the weights.
  • Saltine24
    Saltine24 Posts: 143 Member
    I workout 2x a day 5 days a week, run 5k in the mornings and walk about 6+k on my lunch break. If I feel like it I will run anywhere from 5-10k on the weekends but I don't stress about it if I don't have time or am just too lazy...lol
  • cyndit1
    cyndit1 Posts: 170 Member
    I work out 7 days a week. I don't run consecutive days and I also vary the intensity of my workouts. If I feel like a rest day I take it but haven't since Christmas and before that since 11/27. I also feel guilty when I have a rest day and this schedule seems to keep me from being overtrained. It is off season though and once I start training for my spring half marathons that may change.
  • CowboySar
    CowboySar Posts: 404 Member
    I lift every other day and cardio the other days, so I am at the gym everyday.
  • MichelleWithMoxie
    MichelleWithMoxie Posts: 1,817 Member
    fatguitarist wrote: »
    MichSmish wrote: »
    I run 7 days a week, lift 3 days.

    ETA: I never feel the need to rest from cardio, but strength training requires rest days.

    Have you ever been injured from running so much? How far do you run every day?

    No injuries, been distance running over 10 years. I run anywhere from 7-15 miles/day, but generally on average do about 9 per day.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    I mostly alternate cardio and strength daily so I'm recovering from one while training the other.
    Rare to have a rest day, even after a big event or particularly intense training session I'm more likely to be doing light active recovery work rather than inactive rest.
    Most likely time for me to take a rest day would be the day before an event rather than the day after so I'm fresh and rested.

    You do have to be aware of your recovery needs and vary intensity and volume accordingly. There's no shame in taking a rest day if you need or simply want one. If you are relatively new or returning to exercise then your needs may well be different to someone who has been training solidly for years.

  • spzjlb
    spzjlb Posts: 599 Member
    I exercise daily but only for 30-45 min. My workouts are usually intense, but I mix them up. It just is easier for me to do short workouts at home every day than to schedule longer workouts several times per week. My preference, though.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    I can only accumulate so much intensity/fatigue before I need a day off. I lift three days a week on a schedule, and ride and ski with mixed intensity. I prefer being outdoors than in, so most of the time a rest day means a light ride or an easy walk. Some days it means barely moving, and that's ok too.
  • Motorsheen
    Motorsheen Posts: 20,508 Member
    rest-day-i-think-thats-a-crossfit-deal.jpg
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,756 Member
    I love the gym, but no matter what splits I try for weight training, there is always a day where I just need a day off because my muscles are demanding a break.

    I am not exactly sure what you mean by 'self sabotage'. A little guilt is normal, but you really have to think of rest days as a necessary part of the training/recovery process.

    Maybe on your 'off days', do yoga, stretching, or some simple steady state cardio that isn't too demanding on the muscles and still has benefits.
  • kstreit1997
    kstreit1997 Posts: 5 Member
    Thanks all! I definitely do need rest days. Just i hate taking them because i feel like I’m hindering my progress (which i know I’m not-it’s giving my body time to heal and rejuvenate for the next workout!)
  • blueheartrisen
    blueheartrisen Posts: 30 Member
    Ideally I will do something every day, it's just better for me that way. However, the intensity varies based on how I feel and I do not do the same type of exercise every day. If I really need a rest day I take it.
  • KarenSmith2018
    KarenSmith2018 Posts: 302 Member
    I find rest days hard - I like the extra cals from working out. I mix up what I do. I play netball one day, run one day and crossfit the other 4. Then the 7th day tends to be a long hill walk or another but more gentle run. Life tends to force rest days on me - like if I have to do a long journey.
  • cs2thecox
    cs2thecox Posts: 533 Member
    I lift 3 days a week. I follow a progressive plan set by my PT, which is pretty varied but also includes most of the standard big lifts.
    It's all I can do without things starting to get worse rather than better over the medium term!

    I also average over 12,000 steps a day, and do hike sometimes at the weekend as well - including a 4 hour epic in the Peak District on New Year's Eve!

    It's hugely important for your body to get enough rest (although that's wildly different for different people), and also for you to have a plan that you can stick to consistently without self-sabotaging.
    I'd be tempted to scale things back to find what is consistently manageable, do that for a few months and see what happens. If you feel like you can put another workout in, then go for it.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    MichSmish wrote: »
    I run 7 days a week, lift 3 days.

    ETA: I never feel the need to rest from cardio, but strength training requires rest days.

    me too

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