Is exercising 7 days a week too much?

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Icy_Fox
Icy_Fox Posts: 90 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey there, I have been building a new workout routine for myself since I have recovered from my injury and am able to do it again. After asking the doctor, he said I can exercise as much as I want as the injury has fully healed. I'd like to go to the gym to lift weights 4 times a week (which is standard for most routines) and do cardio, either running or cycling, the other 3 days. Would this be unhealthy or should I just go for it?
Thanks!

Replies

  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
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    I would encourage a full rest day in there somewhere - might be a day when you're just walking around, not one where you're on the couch all day watching Netflix (but that would be OK too :D) In terms of the weight training, it's on the non-training days that your muscles are repairing themselves (becoming stronger). Some people find that intense cardio on rest days impedes this process, and they also find that cycling is less interfering than running. That's my 2.5 cents.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
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    For me, yes - I need at least one full rest day, two is preferable though. For other people it depends. You do, however, need to at least have some days that aren't as intense as others (any good plan would have that built in). Also I would suggest building up to 7 days a week if that's your ultimate goal.
  • Teabythesea_
    Teabythesea_ Posts: 559 Member
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    Theres nothing wrong with exercising 7 days a week, but personally I'd make one or two or your cardio days light or "active rest" days. I have two rest days a week, Wednesday and Sunday. However I still use those days to run errands, walk the dog a little longer and clean the house. Your body needs rest to recover.
  • sarabushby
    sarabushby Posts: 784 Member
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    You might find rather than thinking in terms of weeks, you have a different number of days in your routine and that a rest day every 10 days works for you for example. There’s no problem with not having an official ‘rest day’ once per week but do listen to your body and don’t push yourself into the dangerous zone of overtraining syndrome just because you didn’t take a break when you were feeling tired or achey. There’s certainly no awards for a ‘streak’ of training days.
    Play around a bit and find out what suits you, your body & your schedule.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    7 days a week is fine for me, but you might want to build up to it.
    What you are doing in terms of training volume and intensity matters - not just the number of days.

    By the way your muscles are repairing themselves 24x7 not just on rest days. Rest is just one form of recovery.

  • snowprincess502
    snowprincess502 Posts: 103 Member
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    Lifting 4 days a week and cardio 3 days a week is fine, if that’s what you want to do. No rest days are fine.
  • mdreddie
    mdreddie Posts: 73 Member
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    Exercise to me is like breathing. I don't take a rest from it. However, I don't work out strenuously every day. For instance, for 5 days of the week, I do a morning cardio style calisthenics routine before work, then I jog 4 miles Fridays and Sundays.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,905 Member
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    I exercise 7 days a week, but the quantity and intensity vary quite a bit.

    One day might be a 2 km walk ... one day might be a 100 km bicycle ride. And everything in between. :)
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
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    Here's a great discussion by Lyle McDonald about active and passive "rest" that you might find helpful, OP https://bodyrecomposition.com/training/active-versus-passive-recovery.html/
  • Spadesheart
    Spadesheart Posts: 463 Member
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    Life gets in the way regardless of plans, You can plan on 7 days a week which is not inherently bad, but there will likely be a forced rest day in there somewhere. Don't feel bad taking care of other obligations if you need to. Gotta feel good about whats happening.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,266 Member
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    You've gotten lots of advice, but I'd add one thing I don't see: If you're resuming a workout routine after an injury-related break, it may be smart to gradually work up to your full routine, whatever you decide that is, rather than jumping in at full frequency, duration, and intensity. This is especially true if you've been sidelined for a long-ish time (weeks or more).

    Consider starting with a schedule that's fewer days, fewer reps/sets, lower weight, lighter intensity, shorter duration, or some combination. If that feels good, add a little more, and keep doing that until you're back at full force again. It needn't take months, but it may be worth it, to avoid over-fatigue or re-injury.

    Just a thought.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    OP, what was your workout routine like before you were injured, and how long have you taken off from exercise? I think the answer to your question is different depending on your fitness level and the intensity/duration of activity you plan to do. If you are fairly new to working out, or if it's been a long time since you've been able to exercise, I would not recommend working out every day yet unless at least one day is light activity/"active rest." Instead, you may need to build up to working out every day.

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