Take a Whole Week off or a Restorative Week?

[isebelleg44]

Usually I only take time off from traditional working out due to illness or vacation. I haven't been taking a lot of rest days and usually do yoga on a resty day. I remember in past formal rotations, that there was in a built in "rest week."

What do you think the benefit of this is? Should we be doing this on a regular basis? Do you take a week off? I have been feeling achy lately, but know I need to do something or I will go nuts!

I have revisited my Essentrics DVD and forgot how wonderful these are and maybe should just add these back in on a regular basis. I am rambling here I know, but am wondering when do you realize that you should back off a little.

[bubbles76]

I realize I should take a week off when I am achey or tired. Sometimes even when I just can't mentally face working out. If I had sidewalks in my neighborhood I would probably walk, as it helps me mentally and physically. Since I don't, I usually do nothing for that week but take it easy. I've also done yoga, usually Rodney Yee or Eoin Finn. Eoin just makes me so happy and mentally calm, even though his dvds aren't necessarily restorative.

Don't stress about taking a week off. I didn't do it for many, many years and felt bad when I did. Now, I really, really don't But I can't make it longer than a week, because it's hard to get back into the workout habit.

Make sure that even if you don't work out that you still set aside that time for SOMETHING, because it will be hard to get back in the habit. For instance, I get up early in the morning to workout, so I try not to sleep in, even if I'm not working out that week. If I sleep in it will be murder the following week to get up. I am so not a morning person.

[owltx]

I, too, find that as I get achy it is sometimes better to take a whole week off. My problem is that I really need my morning workouts to get through the rest of the day - wakes me up, gives me energy, etc. So if you are like this too - seek out something to do that week which is clearly a break from your usual routine. If you do hard cardio and heavy weights, walk for a week. If you are usually a power walker, try balance work. This week can also be a good time to work extra meditation in if you are so inclined.

[PhyllisG]

I usually workout for 10 days and then take a day off. Nothing but dog walking. A personal trainer told me at one time that I needed a complete week off....nothing, no yoga complete rest. I took her advice and it really worked. When I came back to working out I was literally doing better than before. No loss of strength or endurance. That was a big lesson for me. Also no guilt!
I have a dog so I have to walk him but that was it. That was a few years back and I still follow her advice.

[Aunt Famous]

Funny you mention a trainer. When I worked with one -- a serious figure competitor -- she told me she took a full week off every 6 weeks. That gave me a green light for rest time.

How do I decide when it's rest time? I was lifting at the gym one day, sick as a dog. I told one of the big guys that I wondered if I should even be there. His reply: "If you wonder whether you should be here, you shouldn't."

So I rest -- whether it's a day or a week -- when I wonder whether I should workout or rest. I love to train, and if I can't muster any enthusiasm for it, it's time to cool my jets.

AF

Check out my blog at www.typeALC.com

[Chomper]

I heard kettlebell guy Anthony Dilugio say on a podcast that the thing most advanced exercisers get wrong is not enough rest days. He explained that the more advanced you are, the more capable you are of really shredding yourself with your hard exercises, the sheer volume of work you're doing, so you need that rest and recovery time even more for your muscles to repair. It sounded like he was advocating more rest days built into the week, but if you don't do that, you will probably really benefit from a week off regularly. Or both!

Things I like to do on rest days/weeks:

Fun cardio that doesn't go anaerobic
Mobility drills
Tai chi/yoga
Nice walks outside, even long ones
Hitting the housework harder

[Vintage VFer]

Originally Posted by Chomper

I heard kettlebell guy Anthony Dilugio say on a podcast that the thing most advanced exercisers get wrong is not enough rest days. He explained that the more advanced you are, the more capable you are of really shredding yourself with your hard exercises, the sheer volume of work you're doing, so you need that rest and recovery time even more for your muscles to repair. It sounded like he was advocating more rest days built into the week, but if you don't do that, you will probably really benefit from a week off regularly. Or both!

Things I like to do on rest days/weeks:

Fun cardio that doesn't go anaerobic
Mobility drills
Tai chi/yoga
Nice walks outside, even long ones
Hitting the housework harder

What is "housework?" Is there a DVD? Who is the instructor?

[antbuko]

Originally Posted by Vintage VFer

What is "housework?" Is there a DVD? Who is the instructor?

And if there is a DVD, tell us where so I can continue to avoid it.

[yogapam]

Originally Posted by Vintage VFer

What is "housework?" Is there a DVD? Who is the instructor?

Bwahaha!

[Jeanne Marie]

Not taking proper rest is my biggest workout flaw. I hate resting. I know it's good for me, but I don't do it as often as I should. As I result, I sometimes hit the wall. This time it was an injury... not serious, but enough to sideline me for 2-3 weeks with a pulled muscle.

It was difficult for me, and I struggled a little bit with mild depression. I can look back and see that's how I felt, now that I'm back into the swing of working out. I was just sad and out of sorts not being able to do my usual routine.

So... after almost 3 weeks off (and I did NOTHING), I am down 5 lbs and feeling a little bit less strong. I know I needed to heal though, and I can come back pretty quickly. For me that's getting back to lifting my usual poundage, and putting back on those few lost pounds.

I feel like if I had rested properly, I may not have pulled the muscle. But then again, who knows? Bottom line though, resting is good!