Do you exercise on your "rest day"?

meganld
meganld Posts: 71 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I was wondering if anyone works out on their rest days, and if so, how much?

I am doing C25K, so running 3-4 times a week for 20-30 mins. I am also starting to do a circuit training routine at home to try and build some muscle.

I was thinking of doing yoga or some other low-impact activity on my rest day. I have a bad knee and I don't want to work myself too hard and risk injury, especially since I'm new to doing much exercise!

Replies

  • cordianet
    cordianet Posts: 534 Member
    I think you'd have to define "workout" and "rest". I think you can still be active on recovery days, but the activity may just be a round of golf, a softball game, playing tag with the kids, etc...
  • julialla
    julialla Posts: 232 Member
    I usually count a rest day in meaning that I do not go to the gym and hop on the elliptical or bike. But I may still take the dogs on a walk...or run around serving at work. It all depends, just not the gym :)
  • Twiztedbeing
    Twiztedbeing Posts: 389
    Rest days are for recovery of the muscles used, so as long as you do not put strain on the muscles you are resting, then I don's see why not.
  • Kooraloo
    Kooraloo Posts: 362 Member
    Usually, yes.
    Today, no. The past 2 weeks I haven't had a "rest day" and with 4-6 hours of water polo, 1-2 hours running, and 1 hour of circuit calisthenics everyday, I needed a day where I could just flop on the sofa and not do anything.
    Usually I'd go for a walk/jog, do some light weights, or swim.
  • JediMaster_intraining
    JediMaster_intraining Posts: 903 Member
    I feel guilty when I have a rest day :/ I feel inclined to work out everyday. I think I even get more hungry when I don't work out. My "rest day" consists of 20-30 minutes cardio. Usually it's 60 minutes a day or some type of workout with weights.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    I always try and do flexibility training on my rest days, yoga qualifies. My main workouts are running and full body weight lifting. Anything that is low impact and not high resistance counts. Casual swimming, walking, stretching, even the elliptical count as rest for me.
  • jturnerx
    jturnerx Posts: 325 Member
    Mondays and Fridays are my rest/recovery days. That means I don't do any training. I may ride my bicycle to work if the weather is nice. I may go for a walk. I may hit the foam roller. I may do absolutely nothing. In general there is usually some sort of activity but it's very mellow and if I don't feel like doing anything that's okay too. My training is focused and purposeful during the other 5 days of the week.
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
    On Sundays, I do easy, stress relief yoga. It's technically exercise, but not really a hard workout, although it is extremely beneficial.
  • acg45
    acg45 Posts: 1
    I do work on my rest day too, but it is usually something light. I am currently 207 and I am trying to do anything I can to make to my ideal me............150lb
  • meganld
    meganld Posts: 71 Member
    Okay great, thanks!

    On my rest days I haven't been doing much outside of going for a quick walk, and I always feel like I want to do more. I just want to take it slow and make sure I'm not setting myself up for injury. From the responses I'm getting it seems like the type of activity I would want to do on my rest day would be fine.

    I've gotten to the point now where if I don't do SOMETHING every day I feel like I can't wait until my next workout :happy:
  • Toomestwin
    Toomestwin Posts: 40
    I have a wake-up routine I do every morning that now involves push-ups on the Bosu ball and various types of abs exercises (sit-ups/crunches, Bosu ball, stability ball, ab roller, etc) and a quick session skipping rope. That takes up about 20 minutes just to "jump start" my day. Otherwise, I run three days a week and lift weights on the other three days, and have one day as my "rest" day. It's worked out for me so far. I can't imagine a day of ZERO exercise activity.
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