Can anyone speak to the importance of taking regular "rest" days? I've only been working out consistently for a little over a month now. It has become a good part of my morning routine - I never thought I'd be a person who likes getting up at 6:30 and hitting the gym before going to work, but now if I have to put it off until later in the day it throws me off. I love the extra energy!
My boyfriend has commented a few time that I need to "be careful" and "not overdo it." I don't think I'm pushing myself too hard ... but should I be taking days completely off to give my body a chance to rest? Or is alternating what I do every day (heavy cardio one day, then light cardio plus weights the next, etc.) an okay routine? I found that when I did have to skip a couple days last week I really missed it!
If you like to workout every day and your body is not begging for a break (ie. you are not utterly exhausted nor do you have pain different from usual) then go for it! Some people might tell you to do one muscle group each day or something but I do not think that you must take a break from everything. Your body will tell you when it needs a break. I usually workout 6/week and I would do 7 but Sundays are a little crazy and I do not quite have the time. I like to workout because I am more successful with my diet on exercise days.
Listen to your body not to your head. I run and sometimes I can go a ton of days without taking a break. Others, I just feel achy, tierd, heavy and couldn't run much even if I wanted to after 3 days.
Listen to your body! If you don't feel you need a break - you don't need to take one. But be sure that when you are sore, achy and tired that you do give your body propper rest. Also, you can do yoga, walking, light excerise for what is considered "active recovery".
I would err on the side of taking rest days BEFORE your body starts to show signs of wear. Taking 1-2 days of rest a week, and by that I mean maybe do gentle 30 minute yoga or a leisurely walk at most, is important to allow the muscles to repair themselves and for your body to rejuvenate.
I pushed myself too hard and wound up with a bad knee injury. Not saying injuries will happen to everyone, but why not invest in yourself, allow some cooldown time to avoid a burnout?
My trainer says that rest days are necessary for the reasons mentioned above. If you are lifting weights, you are tearing muscle fibers that need to heal. The healing time is the time that the muscles are building, repairing the micro tears from lifting. That is why most people who lift weights alternate which muscle groups they are working--for example they might do an upper body routine and a lower body one. I do that, each one two times a week.
I don't do any serious cardio when I do LB because I lift so much that I simply can't make my legs move more. But, then again, I'm 65 and don't recover as quickly as younger people do.
You haven't said how much you are lifting. Many people experience DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and it's not so good to lift/do heavy cardio when you are painfully sore.
Some people experience burn out, but since you've been doing this routine for only a month, you just may not be at that point (if you ever do reach it).
You should check out interval training for your cardio. There is a lot of information on the 'net about that.
I think rest days are important, if you feel guilty take an active rest day, as others have mentionned ... try something different, something you've never done, hiking, zip lining, gardening, you get the drift ...
Can anyone speak to the importance of taking regular "rest" days? I've only been working out consistently for a little over a month now. It has become a good part of my morning routine - I never thought I'd be a person who likes getting up at 6:30 and hitting the gym before going to work, but now if I have to put it off until later in the day it throws me off. I love the extra energy!
My boyfriend has commented a few time that I need to "be careful" and "not overdo it." I don't think I'm pushing myself too hard ... but should I be taking days completely off to give my body a chance to rest? Or is alternating what I do every day (heavy cardio one day, then light cardio plus weights the next, etc.) an okay routine? I found that when I did have to skip a couple days last week I really missed it!
Thanks!
Your bf is correct. Listen to him, lol. I take Sundays off - no yoga, cardio, lifting weights, nothing. It's my busiest day with my sons and after working hard Monday thru Saturday exercising, my body needs a break. You don't want to overtrain and risk injuring yourself. Besides, muscles grow when they are at rest so you need to let them do their thing.
Congrats on starting an exercise program and sticking with it! It's addicting, isn't it?
Rest Days?
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