Rest day? Yes or no?

dele27n
dele27n Posts: 38 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi guys hope everyone is well and smashing goals! Wanted opinions around rest days as I’m getting various responses. Any feedback would be gratefully appreciated ⭐️

Replies

  • AsthmaticHippo
    AsthmaticHippo Posts: 62 Member
    definite yes from me. I workout 5days per week (weekdays) and then “rest” at the weekends. By rest I mean no workouts so light exercise (walking dog etc is ok).

    I can see from my watch that during the week my resting HR rises and then resets over the weekend. This is an indicator that the body is being stressed. It is also important to note that workouts breakdown muscles where as rest/sleep rebuild. Rest is critical to fitness and improvement.

    Of course people can approach it differently and get their rest by differentiating the exercises so different muscle groups get rest without taking an actual day off. This does not work for me as most of my training is cardio based with a little body weight exercises on the side
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    You will get various responses as the need or want for rest days is individual.
    "I need them" or "I don't need them" are both valid responses from different people with different routines and capabilities.

    What are you resting from?
    What is the purpose you are thinking of using a rest day for?

  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    it really depends on what your needs are, but even professional athletes in training take rest days.

    I work out on average 3-5 days a week. Most of my workouts are cardio at the moment.
  • dele27n
    dele27n Posts: 38 Member
    I’m walking/running 10 miles everyday
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    I rest 3 days a week... those days are usually filled with anything but rest as I have a huge family to take care of.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Depends on what you're doing...your overall fitness level...ability to recover, etc. I'm active pretty much everyday...but everyday is also different in regards to my training load, intensity, etc. Yesterday I pretty much had a sufferfest interval workout on my bike that was a pretty brutal 30 minutes of work...I ride today as well, but it's a scheduled easy/casual ride of about an hour on all flats as today is an active recovery/rest day.
  • thisvickyruns
    thisvickyruns Posts: 193 Member
    dele27n wrote: »
    I’m walking/running 10 miles everyday

    Is that your normal amount of walking and running or is it new?
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    I typically try to swim 4X a week, with a rest day in between because if I don't, my shoulder joints will complain mightily. On the two days I have to do back-to-back, I make the second day a kickboard-intense swim, so I don't overstress those rotator cuffs!
  • littlegreenparrot1
    littlegreenparrot1 Posts: 702 Member
    I need them, I'm a runner and don't do well without them.

    I will usually go for a walk, a swim, or a yoga class on non-run days ( or at least I swam before they closed it......)
    But of course your mileage may vary.

    I think the important thing is to be aware of how you feel and have one of you need to, carrying on regardless is a good way to hurt oneself.
  • PeteyJG77
    PeteyJG77 Posts: 6 Member
    Hi, you really have to take rest days. I've run with regular rest intervals and without and experienced feelings with both. When you rest after training your muscles repair hence the aching and the lactic acid is removed from the areas. When running you really are best to take a day rest in-between run days or do recovery runs if you really have to get out and train. If you ideally 3-4 days training is ample. I've run beyond this to see what happens. Unfortunately mild injury is inevitable. Constant training can put increased pressure on joint areas and ruin your running form. As muscles are there to support the movement, constant training doesn't do any favours. Maybe on rest days move to different muscle sets eg core / upper body. 😁👍. Hope this helps.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    dele27n wrote: »
    I’m walking/running 10 miles everyday

    And this is one of the reasons you will get different responses.

    I train (nearly) every day but I don't train the same body parts, with the same exercise and at the same intensity and with the same volume every day and have been doing this for years.
    My need for a rest day is mostly restricted to the day after something extreme such as a Century ride.

    Your need for recovery (and rest is only one form of recovery) is very different to mine.

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