Exercises : rest day, am I doin this right?

It just means you are in better shape.. but if you want you could push it to the next level.. good job:)

I don't think we're supposed to be crazy stiff and sore every morning we wake up! I like to feel some muscle tenderness 3-4 days a week, particularly on days I lift.

I agree that you're just in better shape and getting more fit. Good for you!

You're on the right track! Now you just need to pick up your game a bit to keep your body from getting "bored."

If you've only just started exercising, then the body soreness does go away to a certain degree. After a good workout, you should still feel a bit sore, but not so much that you can't function.

In actuality, the best thing you can do to get the best results is to alternate between workout days and rest days.

That is, by "workout," I mean "push yourself to your limits, and then some" days and by "rest" I mean "Don't do a damned thing, but if you feel you must, keep it as light and easy as possible."

The biggest universal problem there is when it comes to working out is people who are adamant about working out (i.e. professionals) and people who do it for whatever reason (amateur - or us) is that "professionals" work too hard and the amateurs don't work hard enough.

In order to get the most effective workout, you need to allow your body a good 36-48 hours of proper rest to recover from your last workout. Remember, when you're working out, you're actually creating microscopic tears in your muscles and/or you're burning glycogen stores in your muscles (your body's primary source of fuel). You need to heal those "wounds" and "refill the tank" before starting the cycle over again. If you don't let your body recover, you won't be able to push as hard, or as long on your next workout(s), resulting in more time spent with fewer results.

This all being said, if you feel like you must do something, the most effective workout is a LIGHT workout. An easy jog, or super light weights. If you're creating more than a very light sweat, you're working too hard. A light workout will loosen up your muscles and get some blood circulating through your system, helping with the flushing of waste and bringing food and oxygen to where it's needed.

Now that you've got your rests sorted out, you need to give your body a good reason to rest!

Workouts should NEVER be easy. You need to push yourself as hard as you can. IMO, it's more of a mental game than it is physical. When your body starts to give up, you have to tell yourself to keep pushing, until you've got every last ounce out of your muscles/heart. If you're doing resistance training (weights, etc.), then keep going until you literally can't do any more. If you managed to complete what feels like your last push-up, do another one. If you're on your bike, then do interval riding. Ride harder than you normally would for some time, then take it real easy. Lather, rinse, repeat. When you've improved your cardio, then you con consider getting into high intensity interval training. That's where you do a very short ride, and you book it as hard as you can for a few seconds, with quick rests in between. I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner, but if you've got a few months under your belt, it'll have the biggest effect of any type of workout you can do.

As for the absolute most important part of your exercises: Warm up before you start, and stretch when you've finished. You can message me for more info on those, or for more insight into what I've mentioned. This post is getting long-winded enough as it is. I've also got a collection of sources if you'd like to do your own research.

If you don't feel like you're quite up to this level of working out, that's alright. You're started, and you've set a goal. That's better than 90% of the people in this continent. Do what you're comfortable with, but do try to do a bit more than you did the last time.

Keep up the good work, and never give up!

Edit: Before you push yourself beyond what feel like your limit, get a full check-up by your doctor. You never know what menace might be hiding in your body (even if you're totally healthy otherwise)! The last thing you'll want is something to rear it's ugly head, setting you back miles from where you are now.

I have been working out on a consistent basis, increasing my intensity since the end of November and I work out Tues, Thurs, Sat and Sun and take Mon, Wed, and Fri as rest days. My body has completely transformed (hello muscles!) and my stamina has increased tremendously. Those rest days are partly because my schedule will simply not permit 7 day/week workouts, partly to let my body rest, and partly to prevent burnout. I am no expert, I just know what has worked for me and I have no found those rest days to hinder my progress at all. That is just my personal experience, but I hope it helps!