Do you ever take a week off exercising??

Clarissa

Clarissa

Cathlete
Hey! I am thinking of taking a week off from exercising as I am feeling so tight and tense lately. I feel worn and overtrained. Is it good to take a whole week off? Have any of you done this recently? It is going to be mentally challenging for me to say the least...I have never done this before for more than probably 2 days straight. SHould I still do yoga, walking, pilates though?? Any thoughts? Have a great week! :)
Clarissa
 
Heck, when I was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, I took a whole ten months off - LOL!

I still rode my horse though.

But yes, I have taken a week off - and done no more than walking and stretching/easy yoga for a week.

Susan L.G.
 
sorry to jump on this chat but i have decided this is going to be my rest week and i'm SCARED! I haven't had one since last december. I've been unmotivated and tired lately. Plus my throat is feeling a little scratchy so i think i'm getting ill. i'm always so afraid to take time off b/c i'm afraid i'll gain weight or loose my muscle. Do any of you have tricks on how to stick with your rest week? I usually start by takeing 2 days off but them i'm up and running again b/c my mind says workout. help me through this week
 
Kariev,

I'm in the same boat - feeling unmotivated and just tired/slightly sick. My in-laws are visiting this Wednsday so I'm going to *try* and get a few workouts in before they come. While they're here, I'm considering that my rest week. But to answer your question, during rest weeks I'll schedule some walks (maybe 2 or 3) and maybe go to the gym and do some light cardio for a half hour or something. I don't stop exercising altogether but I do take the intensity down A LOT. All in all, I'll try to limit my light workouts to 3 during that week. I also take a break from weight lifting completely during that week. This is just how I do it though. :)

HTH
Carolyn
 
Hey Kariev,

I was feeling really burnt out after hitting it hard all summer. I had a trip planned for a week in July and decided I wasn't going to workout at all. I knew I couldn't even pack any exercise/running shoes or clothes or I would work out. I took the whole time off (just did things like walk around NY or DC but no "real" exercise) and came back SO refreshed and ready to work out. I will admit that I had been following a really clean diet befcore my vacay but told myself I was going to eat whatever I wanted while on vacation (and boy, did I!). Anyway, not only did I come back ready to exercise, but when I weighed myself when I got back, I didn't gain anything. I know that's probably not typical, though.

What I would tell you is to take a week off...you will feel so refreshed after and just make sure you keep a clean diet. Don't give in to your urge to exercise, but do "light" things like stretching, walking, yoga, etc. so you don't feel like you're not doing anything. I was so paranoid the entire week I was on vacation and it was for no reason.

I felt so re-energized after my week off that I am now thinking about adding a rest week every few months.

Good luck and we are all here to support you!
 
Yes I did this a few months ago. I had never taken a full week off before always just one or two rest days. It was just what I needed. I came back refreshed and found that I could do everything better than when I was struggling thru each and every workout. I now plan on doing this every few months. Definitely worth doing in my opinion.
 
Yes,I took a week off a couple of months ago! I was trying to break a weight loss plateou and it worked,lost two pounds that week! It was very hard!Working out keeps me sane;-)

I did some light walks in the evening,but that was about it!HTH
 
I took a rest week after 8 weeks and struggled through not doing anything...kinda funny but would have to tell myself no my body needs to recover and heal! Kinda opposite of non exercisers. I came back and felt great...One week didn't hurt me at all. I am coming up on my next 8 week recovery week and even now am feeling a little hesitation...so this post helps remind me of how that week went for my body...my mind was another story as exercising keeps me sane!
 
Thank you all so much! I really do need support. I talked about this with some co-workers at lunch today...no one understands. THey are just like "you'll be okay, obsess-o". I hate when people say stuff like that. People who don't make fitness a part of their life can be so snide about it, I have found. I don't even usually talk about it because no one in my life can relate. They act like I am vain or something. So some people read, some people sew, and I exercise! What is so bad about that?? Anyway, I don't know how the next 6 days are going to go but I have withdrawal symptoms already....seriously.
Clarissa :)
 
I do every 8-12 weeks or so. This is my week off. I usually do absolutely nothing, but since we recently got a dog, I do walk him!
 
I so know what you mean about people thinking you are obcessed. I needed to loose 15 pounds. before I ate anything I would check the labels on everything. We would have family gatherings and I would not eat the chips and dips or the pizza. I believe when you need to loose weight. You have to live, breathe your new habits. Or it won't work. i lost my weight, and workout 5 days a week. But my family gave me such a hard time. Oh just eat what you wnt, just this one time won't hurt you. Of course we are talking about people who are overweight and who do not workout. I still eat a very clean diet, and still hear about it. But one of my sisters joined on board, I taught her all her all that I hear learned and she lost 55 pounds and looks great. So now we both hear about it, but a least now I have someone on my side. We workout to Cathe's videos 5 days a week, we have a schedule that we follow and let know one distract us from our new way of life.... don't let them bother you, they proably wish they could be like you.

"A mind without new discovery, is a mind without adventure"
 
>I would like to know what workout is your first workout after
>taking off a week?
>Rocky


Definitely a circuit workout like DM or BC (twice)!! I just ordered BM2 and haven't got it yet. PLan on watching it to see if I will do that first. Anyone tried BM2? How is it??
 
Clarissa:
Sounds to me like maybe a little internet research & reading for you on the value of recovery weeks could help.
Being FIT and having exercise as part of your "regular" life INCLUDES recovery weeks.
How often you take them really depends on your mental & physical needs.
If I am coming off a month of really heavy lifting then I take a week of recovery (yoga 3-4 days) every 3-4 weeks! If I have been just "going thru the motions" for a month then I dont take one.

You can also mix it up based on your rotation - Sometimes if I dont foresee a week of full recovery then I take my rotation and do a 4 days on / 1 off.... OR 5 days on /2 off and that seems to really help me avoid overtraining AND gives my muscles time to recover regularly.

Theres lots of ways to allow for physical recovery (aka muscle growth & strength building time!)- If a person works out at a low level of intensity & just moderate weights for them THEN I think recovery weeks are more mental...

Just my thoughts.....

as you learn to take them AND you come back stronger every time you will grow to look forward to them and actually push yourself harder BECAUSE of them!
 
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