how often per week should we give our bodies a rest from exercise?
 

I had went for a physical exam a few months ago, and the dr told me that it's not how long or how hard i work out, but how consistently I workout. So I have been exercising nearly everyday in the last 21 days (only missed one day) :carrot: obvously that motivated me to try and get a workout in everyday. But I know our bodies need some down time to recover, and was wondering how often should I take a day off? If i feel good and capable each day of working out, can I still without any negative effects?

This question probably sounds like a "no-brainer" lol ... but sometimes i feel almost gulity if i miss a day...any feedback is much appreciated! :) thanks!

I don't think you need to take a day off. Just mix things up so that you have days that aren't super intense following a very intense workout. Like, do 3 days of cardio, 3 days of strength and a fourth doing yoga, or taking a walk.

When you do get tired, take a day or two off. You will probably find that when you go back after a day off, you'll have an even better workout, but it doesn't have to be a set "one day a week" thing. Just listen to your body and follow it's clues.

I take off at least one day a week, but even then sometimes my husband and I will go for a jog together or do assisted pushups and situps together, those things are tough!! LOL just listen to your body and make sure if you are strength training you are not doing the same muscle groups the same two days in a row. Switch things up a bit, I usually do not take more than two days off if I am super sore!

Just speaking for myself, I take one day a week off (Sunday). The next day, I do feel more rested. Also, mentally, it feels good to have one day in which I'm not exercising (not that I mind exercise---I don't. But still, IMHO, it's nice to have a break from almost any consistent discipline)

I do high intensity stuff a lot, I think a day of rest once a week is good. But that doesn't mean I can't go for a walk or have some other kind of physical activity. Yesterday I had an actual day of rest where I did no exercise. But this was after getting an x-ray to see if my foot was broken. It's not!!!

Personally I don't think you need to take a day off as long as you are feeling good and comfortable about it. I can always tell when I need to take a break and sometimes I do just because my work schedule is heavy and I need a bit of extra rest. But when I do my water dancing in the pool with my iPod, it actually feels relaxing to me even though I am doing a hard workout. We are all different and, if you can handle it (and sound like you can) I would go for it.