I know this sounds crazy...but I've definitely got an obsessive/addictive personality in the sense that when I get into something I REALLY get into. I'm starting to see results at the gym now in terms of my appearance, stamina, strength, etc. so I've been adding new activities. I started spinning about 3 weeks ago and I've added one day of sprints a week instead of steady state running.

The problem: I'm ideally supposed to take two rest days a week based on the program I'm following and I have to take at least one and I'm starting to realize I haven't been since I added all this new stuff. It's just becoming one of those "oh what the ****, I'll go spinning this afternoon" or "wow, I'm bored, I should go run 3 miles on the treadmill". I'm really enjoying all the exercise and I'm in exams now so I study all day, get stir crazy in my room and feel like doing something active. I feel like a slob if I don't work out even if it is supposed to be my rest day.

Does anyone else have this problem? How do I make myself ease up a little? Lol. I don't want to burn out and then get sick of working out to the point where I don't like it anymore...*sigh*

OMG, YES! I have Sunday set as my free day but I have a hard time taking it. I reason with myself and say 30 or 45 minutes isn't so much and almost like nothing so, lol. I actually did take it last Sunday...but had a busy day running and playing outdoors with two kids...man! I think it was more mental than physical though, lol. But yes, I have a very hard time taking a free day. Unless I am very busy...I wouldn't or couldn't imagine 2 days off...I think it would kill me! But, I couldn't tell ya how to ease up because I can't do it myself. Hope you get it figured out.

I have to talk myself into it because my rest days mean less calories for me. 1200 is rough for me to stick to.

However I'm in a training program and it also calls for at LEAST one day of rest a week. In order to be able to train to the level I need to by the end of summer I have to give my body those repair breaks even though I rather not.

I've gotten better about taking them though because I know they are an essential part of what I'm doing. If I really feel the need i'll go for a walk on my off day.

That's like me. When I do train it's really intense (~85-95% of my max heart rate in whatever I'm doing) so I know I NEED it. I try to tell myself that I need the rest day so my muscles can repair and get stronger and all that kind of stuff. I even gone so far as to try and "visualize" the little microtears healing themselves and making my muscles bigger and all that . I know the theory behind it and still it bothers me. Haha.

Yeah, I think those of us training at high levels need it ever more so. If your walking 7 days a week (like I was when I began this) a break isn't as critical.

I probably end up at 80-95% a lot too (I don't know for sure because my HR is higher then the "suggested" range") but a lot of that is because I began running and I've only been at it a few months so my HR is bound to be on the high side for what I do.

I don't know. I never take a rest day. For me, it's not about the calories--I eat the same whether I exercise or not. But I'm afraid that one rest day will turn into two, then two rest days will turn into three, and then before you know it, I'll be taking "rest weeks" . So I do some form of exercise every day, usually at a pretty high intensity.

On Saturdays I swim for 75 min and I consider that to be my rest day. It's longer than I normally work out, but not at quite as high an intensity--it's more steady state cardio, although I do include some intervals.

To keep from burning out, I make sure that I do lots of different kinds of exercise (swimming, spinning, endurance runs, running intervals, elliptical, and strength training with a trainer three times a week).

If you're following a program that requires a rest day, then you should probably take one. I've never followed a program like that; I don't feel like I need a rest day and not taking one doesn't seem to have impeded my progress towards my goal. My trainer knows I work out every day and doesn't seem concerned about it.

I definitely understand. My rest days usually come because I'm too busy to get a workout in, but my body really wants to get to the gym.

Have you thought about taking a long walk on your rest day? It sounds like that would be comparatively restful, considering the high-impact stuff you normally do.

S

I used to take rest days, but like Blue said: they would often turn into rest weeks, or months!

So now I do something every day, whether it's aerobics tapes, jogging, cycling, weights, or just a leisurely walk around my neighborhood for about 40 minutes.

On my "rest" days I choose an activity that I consider easy, like walking at a comfortable pace or doing one of my "beginner" aerobics tapes that I find are a breeze to do.

I have found that being active every day does become a habit, but it is also a habit that is waaaaay too easy for me to break very quickly! Hence, I do some sort of exercise daily.

YES!! I always plan for one but I always seem to do soemthing on that day anyway, it may not be anything strenous but its something!

There are some who will argue that the body NEEDS rest. There are some who will argue that the body does better with ACTIVE rest.

Listen to your body and your body will tell you.

Active rest would be doing a lower intensity than you normally do. So if you normally run 10 mm, run 12mm or walk. Go on a hike or a gentle swim. Just work up to it slowly.

Off day doesnt have to mean sit-on-your-butt-on-the-couch day.

Some weeks I don't take rest days, some weeks I take one, other weeks I may take 2, 3 at the very most... For me it's a lifestyle and I don't even think about it I do something, some times I do 2-3 workouts / day, I'll run to and from the gym, workout a body part at the gym, then come home do some Yoga then shower and get on with my life... Most of my so called "rest" days are just as active as exercise days... Like today I did all the housework, I was up and down flights of stairs a gazillion times with loads of laundry, now if that's not some kind of weight training I don't know what is... I even sweat while vacuuming...

I think you should listen to your body and rest if it needs it or do some cross training activity like walk to the store, go shopping, hike....

I don't really take rest days. I do have those days where my exercise might just be a 1/2 hour walk and not the more intensive stuff I do other days.

A rest day is usually forced on me by circumstance, like a day where I am not at home or travelling.

See thing is, I'm away at school and I walk EVERYWHERE. I easily walk an hour a day all in. So when I say "rest day" I am getting some low-intensity exercise in, just nothing I would ever consider exercise. It's just walking. I don't break a sweat. I don't feel utterly exhausted at the end of it.

I think I get an endorphin high or something though...haha. I'm so addicted to the dripping with sweat, t-shirt sticking to me, everything hurting in a good way feeling.

But anyway, thanks for your suggestions guys. Low intensity stuff like swimming or taking a walk around campus at night would definitely help me clear my head.

The only way i take a day off is if i have no choice(appt or something that take's most of my day) or i'm sick. And than all i can think abt is how soon can i get out there tomorrow. Today i'm waiting for hb to get his butt out of bed so he can adjust the belt on my dreadmill for me, i can't seem to ever get it adjusted right,lol.

The only times I don't exercise are when I'm sick or in pain, like when I hurt my knee a few weeks ago. Years ago, I used to find it hard to get re-motivated after a break from exercise...these days I can hardly wait to get better so I can start exercising again. Honestly, a day doesn't feel complete unless I get some exercise. I mix up what I do from day to day, though, so some days I don't do as much intense exercise.