What to Do on Rest Days so They Don’t Feel Like a Waste
Training programs are usually organized weekly. You can lift weights on a three-day program or, for example, a five-day program, leaving the intermediate days as “rest” days. But what does rest actually mean? On those days, you don’t have to just chill out on the couch; you have options.
Why are there days of rest
You might think that many training programs take a three-day approach because frequent rest is essential for fitness. But this is not entirely true . Many professional and elite athletes train every day, often twice a day. And people who have jobs that require manual labor still go to work every day; not everyone who works at a construction site takes a day off every other day.
I think there are two main reasons why three-, four- and five-day programs are so popular. First, it’s scheduling: not everyone can devote time to training literally every day. However, most of us can work three days a week.
Another reason rest days are because they are a tool for managing the total amount of work we do. Take the 5K couch running program , for example. This will make it easier for you, since you can only do short jogging three days a week. Increasing mileage too quickly can lead to injury , but three days a week is a good start for most beginners.
Or consider weight lifting programs: some programs manage the load by letting you focus on different parts of the body each day (leg day, chest day, etc.). Others will force you to exercise your entire body with heavy weights, but only a few times a week. Intermediate days are your rest days.
If you don’t follow a specific program, you can decide if your workload is too heavy (or not enough). In general, if you’ve been doing a certain amount of exercise for a while and you’re feeling good, you can add more. Our body adapts to hard work. Rest days are optional , but comfortable.
You can play sports on “rest” days
I don’t like to think of the days in between workouts as rest days because you don’t need to rest. But you probably don’t want to do the same things that you are resting from either, as that would violate the purpose. Instead, think of those days as yours, to be used for whatever other purpose you see fit.
For example, if you are doing a three-day running program, you can use the days in between for strength training and mobility work.
If you’re doing a 3-day weight lifting program, you can use the days in between for cardio or yoga.
If your 3-day lifting program focuses only on heavy full-body exercises (such as squats), you can use one or two in between days for lighter equipment (such as curls).
In fact, we need both cardio and strength training to be healthy and versatile , so if you’re not already doing both, you should find places in your schedule where you can fit in with what you want. lacks.
But let it be easier
A caveat to all of this – make sure you are not doing so much that it might interfere with your core workouts . Looking for an easy 20 minute jog between squat day and deadlift day? Sure, no problem. 10 mile hard run? This might be a bad idea.
The appropriate amount of work will depend on what your body has adapted to. If you’ve been running for a long time, you might be able to run 10 miles without hurting yourself. If you bike to work every day, you don’t have to ride just because today is a day of “rest.” Use your judgment.
You can rest, but still maintain your daily routine.
Now that you know you can be active on your “rest” days if you like, I want to make it clear that you don’t have to. The rest is good too.
Sometimes it’s easier to keep a daily routine if it’s the same every day. So if you’ve made time for exercise – perhaps every morning before work – you can use that time every weekday, not just workout days.
So, use your “training” time for something else that is good for your body. Maybe you want to spend some time stretching or rolling on the foam . Instead of running or cycling, you can take a leisurely stroll. Or spend some time meditating or doing something else that helps your mental health, such as keeping a journal or reading a book. After all, exercise isn’t the only thing that helps you.