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Rest days are a common component of exercise routines, but they're not the only way to prevent burnout. Despite what many beginner tips suggest, you don’t always have to take a break after every workout, and you can even opt for a seven-day training schedule if that suits you. However, when you start to push the boundaries, extra effort is required to ensure you still give your body enough time to recover, even if this doesn’t always mean taking a complete rest day.
Recovery is crucial, whether it involves 'rest days' or not
Many strength training programs involve full-body workouts followed by a rest day, or they break down the exercises so each muscle group gets a recovery day—for instance, your arms rest while you focus on leg exercises. The goal is to allow each muscle group time to recover before it’s worked again, and rest days are an effective method for ensuring adequate recovery time.
Not every sport follows this structure. Runners, for instance, often run daily, taking only one or two complete rest days each week (or even none, for some). However, within their training routine, they alternate between intense running sessions—such as speedwork, hill sprints, or long-distance runs—and easier runs that place less strain on the body. These easier days may not be full rest, but they serve as valuable recovery time for seasoned runners.
Other sports may fall somewhere in the middle, but no one expects athletes to push every muscle group to its limits every single day. Even when elite athletes perform grueling workouts daily, what seems like a tough session to us may actually be easy for them. Their coaches ensure they include enough lighter workouts to maintain progress with minimal risk of injury.
No matter how your routine is structured, rest days or lighter workout days are essential for pacing. If you're not accustomed to intense running, overdoing it can lead to tendonitis and other overuse injuries. Excessive exercise of any kind can also lead to a condition called overtraining, where the body develops flu-like symptoms and poor sleep, as it struggles to recover from the overwhelming demands placed on it.
Resting for Just One Day Isn’t a Magical Solution
Taking one full rest day after a tough workout isn't the only method to avoid overtraining. However, there are several reasons why it’s a solid recommendation:
Resting every other day means that only half of your workout days will involve intense exercise. The other half will be rest days or lighter workouts, which helps to keep the overall workout intensity at a manageable level.
An alternating schedule is simple to follow. You won’t need to worry about whether your recovery sessions are easy enough or remember which muscles each exercise targets. On your off days, you simply rest and know you’re staying on track.
It’s easier to stick to a workout when you enjoy it mentally. Intense workouts aren’t always enjoyable, and sometimes you’ll need motivation to push yourself for difficult tasks. It's perfectly fine if you don't feel up to it every day. Having some more relaxing or lighter days can help you stay committed to your routine.
Schedules with rest days are more flexible around your lifestyle. Those who train six days a week must balance their workouts with everything else in their lives. Having multiple rest days every week frees up time for work, school, family, hobbies, and other priorities that demand your attention.
If another schedule works better for you, feel free to try it. If you enjoy all your workouts, even the tough ones, gradually incorporate more hard days into your routine. If it feels good, keep going! But if you start feeling sore or fatigued, listen to your body and bring the rest days back into your plan.
Recovery Doesn’t Have to Involve Complete Rest
Some prefer using the term 'recovery' rather than 'rest' days, since full rest may not always be the goal. For example, lifting a fork to your mouth is essentially like doing a bicep curl. So after a tough arm workout, would eating be impossible? Clearly, some level of activity is fine on recovery days.
Here is where you need to gauge your own effort level. If you’re new to exercise and just did an intense leg workout, riding a five-mile bike ride the next day might not be ideal. However, if you bike to work every day, continuing your commute on your 'rest' days should be perfectly fine.
When I did push-ups every day for 30 days, some people warned me that I was risking injury by skipping rest days. But as I explained in that article, I gradually increased my fitness level. A few sets of push-ups each day became my new routine, and it felt as effortless as commuting by bike. On some days, I’d challenge myself with more difficult push-up variations or increase my reps, but I balanced those tougher days with easier ones that were closer to my usual effort level.
As you discover your personal strengths and limits, you can adjust your workout schedule based on what works best for you. This might mean taking just one or two rest days each week, or perhaps doing intense workouts followed by a few days of rest. As long as you're getting a decent amount of exercise overall and aren’t feeling sore or injured, you're probably on the right track. Now, let me address some specific questions I know often arise in these discussions.
Is it okay to walk or do cardio on rest days?
Yes, if that’s part of your regular routine. For example, if you always take a walk after dinner, there’s no reason to skip it just because it’s a rest day. If you want to start incorporating cardio into your rest days, make sure you’re recovering well from your usual workouts first. Feel free to gradually add extra cardio or other light activities as you go. I also have this guide to figuring out what to do on your rest days.
How can I tell when I really need a rest day?
If you're unsure whether you're just feeling lazy or actually need a rest day, ask yourself: Do I want to skip my workout or do I need to skip it? If you feel like you need a rest day, it's likely that you do. It’s perfectly fine to take a rest day when you're feeling unwell, extra fatigued, or overwhelmed with other responsibilities. A workout can always be postponed.
If, after asking yourself this question, you realize you just don’t feel like working out, consider shifting the workout to another time or day. Alternatively, if there’s no real reason to skip, push yourself to go ahead with it. Whenever I’ve felt this way, I always end up feeling better afterward, and I’m grateful that I completed the workout.
However, if you're frequently asking yourself this question, it might be time to reassess your workout routine and check if it’s truly suiting you. Rest or recovery days should serve as a preventative measure. They’re meant to prevent you from becoming overly exhausted.
Do I still need rest days if I'm not sore?
Soreness isn’t really a direct indicator of recovery, believe it or not. You can be fully recovered and still feel a little sore, or you might not feel sore even if your body needs rest. If you're starting a new exercise program, I recommend sticking to your planned recovery days. After about two weeks, you can consider adding some extra activity on those recovery days, as long as you're still feeling good.
What happens if I skip my rest day?
You might feel a bit more drained for your next workout. If you consistently skip any rest days, you could notice a decrease in your strength or performance during workouts. There may also be other negative impacts on your health, such as difficulty sleeping.
However, it’s also possible that you’ll be just fine. As mentioned earlier, rest days aren’t magical; they’re simply a tool in your routine. If you're working out daily but within the capacity your body can handle, you could recover just fine, and this may become your new normal. Keep an eye on how you’re feeling, though, and reintegrate rest days if you start to feel you need them.
