exercise day off
 

My trainer insists I take a day off. He really wanted me to take two days off but I can't bring myself to do that.

Today is Sunday my exercise day off. I can't think of anything but the guilt I feel not working out and I am even limiting my calories. I go outside and run around with the kids but I miss the gym. I know my muscles need a break... but does anyone else have a hard time on their day off?

I have been taking Sunday off. Took Saturday and Sunday off this week. I do feel a little guilty, but its nice to have a break and probably very important to the muscles I've been working this week. Try not to get down. Everyone deserves a little break.

Nope...not me!:D I run 4 days a week and GLADLY take the other 3 days off. Actually, when I first started, I ran/walk for 20 minutes 6 days/week and did good with my fat loss. But when I started running for miles and miles, I had to cut down the amount of days/week because it effected negatively both my performance and stalled/slowed down my fat loss. 4 days is PERFECT for me as the lbs are really flying off! Additionally, I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT cut down my calories on non-workout days....and I allow myself one CHEAT MEAL per week. I've lost 40+ lbs in a little over 4 months.:)

I always feel guilty when I don't work out. I try to just keep active by moving a lot. Not much advice, but I do get it.

I don't feel bad about off days when I put in a good exercise week.
Our bodies need time off to be ready for the next round.

I will stretch or maybe do a light yoga session, go for a walk on rest days if I do feel the need to be active though.

I'm glad you posted this, because I had a similar concern. I've been going 5 days a week but I never manage to get out on Saturdays and Sundays... I usually spend them catching up on homework and walking the 20 minutes to campus to go to the gym is a difficult task (especially in the frigid Montreal weather!). I'm glad people can manage off-days without stalling weight loss!

I took Saturday off and yes. I had a terrible time with it. I justified in my mind that I was 'okay' because I had gone sledding and walked up and down that snowy hill a dozen times chasing after kids but still.... it was tough.

This morning I decided I needed a plan. I dont like this guilt stuff! So my plan is to run Sun-Friday. Sat off. And Mon-Wed-Fri to do 30 Day Shred or another muscle building workout. Im am seriously in to these muscles Ive been getting. :lol:

Your 'day off' doesn't really have to be a day off. You could do something like a light walk and stretching or yoga. I prefer days off where I do something like work on my flexibility.

I love and enjoy my my days off... Some days I exercise twice/day so I feel I deserve them... Some days off are active days off but others are just plain ole lazy days of doing nothing ...

I was pretty active on Sunday my day off... I hauled 5-6 loads of "stuff" up the stairs, played soccer outside with my kids.

It is just the excitement of going to the gym on Sunday. I wish there was a yoga class on Sunday. That is a great idea. Can't think of what I could do at the gym on a day off.

But, today is Monday! YAH! I go at 9 and warm up and do abs, 9:45-10:45 I spin and 11 I work upper body with my trainer. YAH!

I feel badly when I take my day off - like I should be doing something. I typically take off Saturdays because of the running around for sports activities with my children. I took this Sunday off, too, so feeling doubly bad! :( I will be working extra hard at the gym tonight, though.

I used to have a hard time with it, but then I realized exercise 7 days per week was not sustainable. I am all about absolute sustainability. ;)

I also took a whole week and a half off after a year's worth of never missing a workout. Best thing I ever did! My work outs now mean more. They're energized. I can train harder and better with rest.

im having a really hard time not doing exercising..its almost like ive become addicted to exercising..its like..if i dont do an hour or two, i feel like crap and that sucks..im trying so hard not to do anything but i want to..i dont feel guilty but i feel like im not happy if i dont do anything..and its like.. calorie burning is like a goal..when i see my calorie burn go up, it makes me want to do it even more and go further then i went last time..the most ive burn in a workout session has been 900 calories and now i want to surpass that..and now that im trying to take a day off because my scale has stalled.. i want to eat and eat and eat cause i feel depressed from not working out.

Your body needs the break. I'm with Nelie...if you feel that bad not exercising on the 6th/7th day, do some light stretching or yoga.

I always have a loss after a rest day. Even after a 2 day break (my MIL was in town and we went out to eat a few times) I had a loss. I try to enjoy my days off, sometimes I do obsess about workouts on my days off. I feel like I should be doing something, but I know that resting is good for my body so I try to relax.

todays is my off day! im getting a massage on my glutes, hammies, and calves --- DESPERATELY need it too! yay!

Oh, a FWIW, i always have a loss after i take time off too,...... it alllows your muscles to relaease the water theyve been holding to repair from all the "damage" youre doing to them working out! they get to recover, you get a little whoosh! its win-win

Originally Posted by mkroyer:
Oh, a FWIW, i always have a loss after i take time off too,...... it alllows your muscles to relaease the water theyve been holding to repair from all the "damage" youre doing to them working out! they get to recover, you get a little whoosh! its win-win

I loooooooooove my days off. I try to take at least one per week, sometimes two. For this weekend for instance, my last workout will be tomorrow morning and that will be it until Monday morning. I don't feel guilty as by tomorrow morning I will have done at least 6hrs of exercise.

And just like mkroyer, I always have a little whoosh...generally on a Monday morning. I am sooo looking forward to this weekend with no exercise!

I definitely feel guilty when I dont go to the gym, even if its by day off.
Days off are important though, not just for your body but for your mind :)
On my days off I try to be as mobile as possible but I dont worry that I did go to the gym.

Today is supposed to be my DAY OFF...but I'm terribly stressed so I'm gonna go running to burn off some steam...grrrrrhhhhh!!!:mad: Running "decompresses" my mind and body and leaves me feeling "refreshed"!:) When this happens I just usually switch around my days off to accommodate for my wrotten mood and subsequent NEED for exercise. In any event...I don't workout more than 4-5 days/week...more on the 4 side usually.