Focus On: Rest Days
Good morning! Happy humpday 🙂 Hope the rest of your week is smooth sailing 😉
When I posted the call for “Focus On” requests on Facebook, rest days was a popular one. When to take them, how they work, etc.
Ask and ye shall receive, my friends <3
In our society, we’re taught to believe that results happen while action is occurring. As we’re working, we accomplish different tasks and we keep going. On and on, without a break, seeing the constant visible results from our hard work.
This isn’t actually the case with working out: results happen while we rest.
During our workouts, we create tiny tears in our muscles. When we allow the muscles to rest, the tissue is able to repair itself using proteins and their amino acids. This creates stronger muscles over time, which appear leaner, especially combined with the fat-burning process.
This is why we shouldn’t work the same muscle groups to fatigue two days in a row, to allow the muscles to rest and repair. Continuous workouts without rest will actually make us weaker- not stronger.
[Need help setting up a weights schedule? Check out *this post*]
From this article:
What Happens During Recovery?
Building recovery time into any training program is important because this is the time that the body adapts to the stress of exercise and the real training effect takes place. Recovery also allows the body to replenish energy stores and repair damaged tissues. Exercise or any other physical work causes changes in the body such as muscle tissue breakdown and the depletion of energy stores (muscle glycogen) as well as fluid loss.
Recovery time allows these stores to be replenished and allows tissue repair to occur. Without sufficient time to repair and replenish, the body will continue to breakdown from intensive exercise. Symptoms of overtraining often occur from a lack of recovery time. Signs of overtraining include a feeling of general malaise, staleness, depression, decreased sports performance and increased risk of injury, among others.
Rest days should be scheduled into a workout regime, to make sure that you’re getting at least 1-2 days of rest each week to prevent overtraining and allow the body to recovery and repair. Overtraining is a beast- you can read more about it *here*
Every year or twice a year, I’ll take 1-2 weeks totally off from working out. It’s a great opportunity to let my body fully recover, and a chance for my mind to refresh. When I get back into it, my love for exercising is renewed and it keeps me from burning out.
How do you know you need an *extra* rest day?
– You’re extremely sore. Not the “Oh, I feel my legs workout from yesterday” but “can’t walk today without cringing in pain” kind of sore.
-You’re exhausted. Usually when you’re sleep-deprived or just totally zonked, you won’t get an effective workout in anyway. The best best can be to go for a short walk or yoga sesh, or totally take the day off. You’ll feel twice as good tomorrow and won’t loathe your workout while you’re sleepily trying to meander through it.
-You’re sick. Some people say if you’re sick from the neck up (head cold, sore throat, etc) you can still work out, neck down (body chills) take the day off. I say use your best judgment. Only you know if you’re feeling up to it, or if you’re contagious and would get fellow gym-goers sick. I usually ask myself if working out would make me feel better, or worse. If it’s the latter, I stay home.
What to do on a rest day:
-Take the day off. Chances are that you probably won’t be spending the entire day watching TV on the couch, so it’s not like there won’t be any activity in your life that day, just nothing strenuous.
-Try something short, sweet and easy. A walk with your pup, gentle restorative yoga or stretch class, bike ride to the farmers market or leisurely swim are all good options.
How often do you take rest days? Do you schedule them into your weekly workout plan, or go on an as-needed basis?
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I definitely take them on an as-needed basis – I find that if I try to schedule them, I often feel energized and ready to go for a good sweat sesh when I get home. I never like to let that feeling slip away, so I try to save my rest days for when I actually feel like I need them! That way I can fully enjoy the time off without feeling bad about not getting in a good workout when I’m still up for it.
I take a rest day once a week – for the past year, it’s been on Saturdays, and I abide by that rule religiously! By the end of the week, my body definitely starts to feel the need for rest, so it always comes at a perfect time. Great Focus On post! 🙂
I always make sure I get at least one a week, if not two. I agree that our bodies need them and they are just as important as get your sweat on.
I never thought about doing the one week off thing – but it is a great idea, and I am going to make sure I do it now!
Yeah, I hate that ‘resting’ seems to get such a bad rap. Like… if you rest, you are weak. You have to ‘go go go’…. or you are weak.
Makes.Me.Bananas.
I usually take 1-2 rest days a week and that day varies depending on how I feel or if unexpected plans come up! Rest days are soooo important and I cringe when I see what people are working their bodies each and every day without rest! Burning out and/or injuries are NOT fun!
I take 1 complete day off each week (Fridays) and then usually I’ll skip my workout on Mon or Tues depending on what my schedule looks like. And if I have a race I’ll take about a week off afterward to totally recover.
i can see how rest days can be so hard for some people because its almost hard to grasp that change is happening when your resting (it was for me at least). i take a complete rest day 1 day a week, then have a more active rest day during the same week and do it as-needed. it all depends on how tough my workouts have been that week too. i’ve learned how to listen to my body and know when its just laziness (so then i push through it) or i really need a break.
I take a rest day every three days. On those days I’ll tackle extra housework, take the dog for a slightly longer walk or go shopping for activity.
I used to hate rest days; I thought that they made me lazy and I would feel guilty for taking the day off. Then I started training for my first half marathon and rest days took on a whole new meaning. Now that I’m consistently running longer distances, I take my rest days seriously and don’t feel guilty for “not doing anything” the day after a 15 mile run! My body is soo grateful that my ego finally shut up.
I always take Saturday and Sunday off- and every once in awhile I take Wednesday off too! I know a lot of people recommend working out on the weekends, but taking them off has kept me from burn out, allowing me to work out consistently (4-5 days per week) for over a year now!
Hey Gina, I’m new to posting on your blog. I really enjoy reading your advice about exercise and food. I have a question about rest days with cardio. I recently moved and have yet to join a gym, so I have been doing the turbofire dvds. Is it okay to do them a couple of days in a row as it recommends on the workout schedule? Or do you think you should take a day off in between?
Thanks for all the great info you provide on you blog!
Ida
hi ida! thanks for saying hi 🙂
yes, totally fine as long as you follow the schedule they sent. otherwise i’d be mindful not to do two hiit days in a row.
I think today might just be rest day =]
I love this post! I used to be a cardio addict and was convinced that I needed to pump out at least 6 intense days of exercise a week. As soon as I started incorporating rest days, I ended up LOSING weight (go figure)
Great post, Gina. Rest days are so important. I take my fair share of rest days now, and enjoy active recovery with stretching / walks.
Since my marathon training has been going on, I’ve also become bff’s with a bag of frozen peas (I even take them to work!), a foam roller and roller stick. Rest days are very necessary, especially after my long runs.
I schedule my rest days into my plan but only because I’ve learned when I need them (ie. after a really long run or starting a new weight program). I love the idea of taking rest weeks once or twice a year! That’s very cool.
Personally, I’ve never had an issue taking rest days 🙂 Love them!
I schedule at least 1 in a week but, sometimes given my work travel schedule I’ll end up with 2. If that’s the case I try to make one of them more active than the other, incorporating a lot of walking or something like that just to move a little.
I usually let myself skip the gym on the weekends. Not sure if that’s the best way to schedule rest days, though.
That last picture of Bella is super cute!
I think rest days are super important but I always am scared of taking them because I worry that one rest day will become two — and two will become a week! A trainer at my gym told me that on rest days I should go for a walk or do something active still (like you said) so that it’s not a complete “off” day and I’ll still be motivated to go to the gym/yoga/whatever the next day!
I’m going to start up a workout program on Sunday again.. I’ve taken a month off (busy getting married, honeymooning, stuffing my face… 😉 ) and I need to be active again, I miss feeling strong!
This is such a good reminder. I used to live for rest days, but now that I love working out more and more, it’s harder to remember or feel “ok” about taking a day off.
I try to take my rest days on the weekend because I know I will still be moving around and doing active stuff with the fam. During the week with my 9-5 desk job I feel like if I don’t do some exercise after work I will go crazy.
I’m so glad you posted this. I’m a teacher and I’ve had off for the Summer. I got into this zone where I woke up and worked out every.single.day. It was great…until I reached a state of exhaustion last week. Today marks 5 rest days and I feel great. I’m really glad I listened to my body and took this break to allow myself to recover.
What a great post! Very informative and something I *know* but don’t always put into practice…I think rest days are hard for me because there’s this mental link for me between feeling good and moving, and often I feel puffy and bloated when I don’t have an active day. That’s probably just my brain making me feel guilty for not moving though, and I certainly don’t want my exercise to be motivated by guilt! I don’t schedule rest days but mine typically are on Sundays, a day I rest from many things. Great tips on doing gentle yoga or an easy walk – that will probably help my mentality. This one is easier for me to preach than to practice as a personal trainer myself! 😉 Thanks, Gina!
I usually take 1-2 active rest days each week, and maybe 2-3 fully rest days (no walks, swims, etc.) every month. I don’t really schedule them in, but just go by how I feel. Generally I’m exhausted by Friday, and I like to kick off my weekend by unwinding. Sometimes that includes a relaxing walk, but often it’s a date with my BF or drinks with friends ; ) Then I feel like I can go hard again on the weekend. It’s a good cycle!
i take 1 to 2 rest days a week, sometimes more or less depending on the week. i try to at least go for a walk or something on those days though just to stay kinda active.
I usually take 1-2 rest days a week. A lot of the time I don’t workout on the weekends because I’m to distracted by my husband, friends, family, sleep, brunch and morning coffee dates.
So glad you posted this. I’m terrible about NOT taking rest days. I do take one day off of intense exercise…but I clean the the house that day, so I’m not sure that’s really resting 😉 I really need to work in some less strenuous exercising now and then. My body will love me for it.
I almost always take the entire weekend off, but because I keep such a strenuous workout schedule with all the classes I teach I really need those 2 days back to back to keep from killing myself. I’m pretty excited that this year I’ve managed to have Friday afternoons/evenings off, the weekend and monday morning/afternoon so it’s almost like I’m working a 4-day work week! Of course those four days are jammed full of 17 classes (!)…
As I have gotten in better shape, I need less rest (I think!:) but I usually end up with 1 day off each week. I average 10 hrs of exercise a week and some weeks much more 30+ and I can feel absolutely great, day after day but then BAM I wake up just feeling shot, and not always after a hard day. And its usually not muscle fatigue, its just overall tired feeling.
I also notice something maybe you can answer, after a “big” week, I find I temporarily gain quite a bit of weight – 5 lbs or more. I haven’t “gained” obviously – and fyi I am not trying to lose weight, I just find the phenomena interesting.
I take one rest day per week, usually Fridays! ’cause Friday’s just scream – CHILL OUT! 🙂
I love taking walks or cleaning the house on rest days. Makes me feel like I’m doing something relaxing or productive, but not being lazy!
I think you have to think about it like a rest day is part of a healthy regimen, versus taking a day off is being lazy or slacking. Look at your workout schedule in terms of entire weeks, not one day at a time. Even on a rest day, I can be burning calories by cleaning the house, running errands, or cooking up a storm in the kitchen. I live in NYC so I walk a LOT just in my normal day to day!
I’ve been injured so I had to take a bunch of rest days but normally I take 1-2 days off a week. I try to just listen to my body as far to which days to take completely off. Sometimes I’ll just do a lighter day of exercise instead!
i don’t schedule rest days, i just take them as i need them. I listen to my body and it tells me when i need a break. Rest days are definitely awesome and make you feel energized to get back into your routine again
I agree with Dani’s comment above, and I also think this is a great post! Oddly enough, I also wrote about rest days earlier today (www.michellemasonfitness.com) – or “restorative” or “flexible” days, as I propose we call them 🙂
I take them on an as-needed basis; my POV is that rest days will happen from time to time no matter what (something changes in your schedule, you feel sore or sick, etc.) and for that reason, I don’t think we need to be so diligent about “scheduling” them. See how you feel that day, do the best you can, and be sure to mix up your workout routine with lower and high intensity days. I also used to have the misconception that “rest days” meant being a sloth on the couch, but now I abide more by your definition of active rest. I think that fits so nicely into a living a healthy, fit lifestyle and keeps you in the good habit of staying active each day.
I soo needed to read this Gina! I struggle so much with “accepting” that I need a rest day even though I know how vital they are. Thank you for this reminder and that resting does not = weight gain! Sheeshe I am so sick of thinking that!
yayy for rest days!! i take 1-2 days off per week. 🙂
Sundays are my rest days 🙂 That’s the only day my boy-friend and I both have off all day long so we make the most of our time together.
I have a lot of trouble taking rest days; 1. I always feel like I’m being lazy, and 2. There are so many fun things to do! I need to make it more of a priority though, because every couple weeks there will be a day when I just SLEEP for like 16 hours, and that’s probably a sign that I’m overtraining.
Totally agree on the rest days.. Sometimes you just need a mental day off or else eventually you get sick of running or doing gym workouts or classes you love, too.
I definitely take one rest day a week, sometimes another one or two if my body is asking for them. I notice that when I am sleep deprived all my body wants to do is rest, and I’m ok with that. 2 weeks ago I was working my tail off (right now I am a restaurant server) and on Saturday and Sunday before work all I wanted to do way lie on the couch and give my body a break. Come Monday, I was super energized to get my workout back on and I felt great! I have also played around with different workout schedules over time to figure out what is best for my body. Right now I am on a schedule where I alternate days of strength training (usually for an hour to an hour and 15 min) with heavy circuits that keep my heart pumping so that I can skip traditional cardio and my other day is 60 min of yoga + 35 min of traditional cardio (usually intervals of some sort). I used to do cardio ALL of the days, but that just weakened my body because I pushed it so hard during my strength sesh.
This is my favorite focus on post yet! I personally think rest days are harder than actually working out. I am a really active person and really antsy as well….so just relaxing and taking a break is SUPER hard for me. But I know my body needs it and my love for health and my body’s well being are what get me to take a rest. Thanks for reinforcing all this info for me!
random request: we all think you and the pilot are so adorable and a great couple! could you do a post on relationships, finding the right person, relationship advice, once you find them, etc.? that would be awesome!
Hi Gina! I have a question about rest days actually. My volleyball season is just starting up. It will be 3 hour practices 3 days a week, games 2 days a week (2 hours ish). I want to continue practicing (hot) yoga on Sundays but I’m worried that might be too much…thoughts? Thanks!!
I just aim for working out 4-6 days a week (it’s usually 5) and that seems to be the perfect amount for me. I don’t schedule rest days, I just take them on days I’m super busy am absolutely not feeling it. On days I don’t go to the gym, I at least try to be active by taking long walks with the puppers.
I love this post! So many people forget about rest days because, especially when they first start working out. My favorite activity on my rest day is leisurely walking my pup, which means letting her stop and sniff whatever her little heart desires. Stretching, foam roller included, is an activity I recently added on my rest days. Stretching hurts to good!
My rest days usually arent planned. I always say i try to go the gym every day that way if i have plans or dont feel like going one day-spontaneous rest day!
I believe in switching up yoru workouts constantly so that you never feel too overworked. Rest days are definitely important as well, it’s the time your body needs to recooperate. Without it you’re just hurting yourself! Great post Gina 🙂
Hey thanks for sharing! Just thought I would share I’m was trying to find other focus on’s and had to do a little searching since i couldn’t remember the name of it, you might want to consider doing a tab up top called “focus on” since of course it also goes with the whole “F” theme. just a thought 🙂
i want it to go on the “fun” page when i get it up and running!
Rest days are so tricky for me! I know I need them, but I often feel guilty. My new goal is to not be so hard on myself. I try to remind myself the the workout AFTER a good rest day feels awesome and productive!
I usually take one rest day per week but definitely listen to my body. Sometimes social plans and work force me to take more than one. I also try to break up my workouts so I’m focusing on different muscles on different days. So while one set may be resting, I can still do cardio or something else!