Rest Day

A lot of people feel guilty about taking a rest day or off day. The genesis of the guilt is typically based on the philosophy of 'calories in calories out'. Another motto I hear often is 'a little bit is better than nothing'. I disagree with both philosophies. Let us explore why. The 'calories in calories out' philosophy is rooted in the individuals desire to lose weight. I would argue that with proper nutrition that your weight should not be affected by whether you miss a workout or two. There are a number of testimonials from followers of the Primal Diet who had major injuries without losing body composition or gaining weight. The body needs a rest day to recover from long runs or bike rides or the high intensity training of crossfit or cross training. Read any professional marathon guide and they always have 2-3 rest days per week. Rest is as critical to achieving your goals as is the work you put in during your gym days. If your goal is to workout so you can eat what you want realize that 30-90min of exercise is not enough to counteract a piece of chocolate cake and french fries. Even if your eating habits are not as bad as chocolate cake be honest with yourself that working out to eat what you want is a losing battle and at best you are working to keep the status quo. The motto 'a little bit is better than nothing' is just as misinformed. If your body is sore it is a sign that trauma has occurred to the muscle fibers. Listen to your body! Working out when you are sore or tired can lead to poor form, which as discussed yesterday, can lead to injuries. If your workout continually leaves you sore and exhausted it will be a mental and physical battle to continue at this pace. Remember the goal of fitness and exercise is to help you feel energized. There is also the trap that a little bit of exercise will release your mind from the guilt of poor eating habits. What to do for your rest days. There are two options to discuss, full rest or active recovery. Full rest means limited to no strenuous physical activity. This can include light walking and should include mobility work. Active recovery includes swimming, biking or other outdoor activity that is done in a low heart rate zone and of course mobility work. Your body and your prior workouts will decide which recovery is best for you. Personally I have that if I am doing high intensity workouts a 3 days on 1 day full rest works best for my body. I am also not afraid to take a day off after a heavy day or when I am sore. Putting maximum effort into your workout gives your maximum return and if today is not your day do not feel guilty about packing it up or making it an active recovery day. Rest days should be an important and planned part of your workout. If you are working with a personal trainer and feel worn out with their plan, work with him/her to add more rest rather than half-ass your way through with lighter weights. Let's discuss if there are questions. --rich