I was once told, “Beware the fervor of the newly converted”. . What does that mean? Sometimes when a person finds a new activity to add to their lives, like exercise, they can go overboard and truly overdo it. There is too much of a good thing – as in all cases.
When we talk about exercise, we look for anywhere between 75-150 min a week of vigorous exercise, or between 150-300 min of moderate exercise. That’s about 30-60 min per day, aiming for 5-7 days per week depending on your devotion and goals. But research and exercise professionals tell us that rest is as important as the exercise we perform. The vigor with which you perform your exercise will determine the frequency and duration of the time you should take for rest.
Those new to exercise will often require more rest between bouts as their bodies are not adapted yet and veterans to sport and activity will require less because a tolerance level has been reached. So, what does that mean for you? Pay attention to your body!
If you’re getting ready to exercise and find that you are sore, fatigued, or lacking motivation, i you may be nearing burnout – you’ve been doing too much. New exercisers should look to have about 24 hours of rest between each day of exercise, or as much as 72 hours if necessary. (This is different if you’re talking about therapy-based exercise.) When you first start, you will likely experience what we call Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). This normally lasts for up to three days and is worst on day two. Nothing to be afraid of and completely normal.
What does a rest day consist of? We recommend stretching, yoga, or a low intensity walk. You can even do some other resistance exercise if you work muscles different than those that are sore. You can also have a day where you spend time with the family and do nothing more than engage with them.
Exercise in a week should be a combination of low, moderate, and higher intensity activity, stretching and rest. This is called periodization.
There is a lot more to rest days and burnout to share and learn. If you want to know more about DOMS, periodization, exercise prescription and yes… REST, talk to your experts at Forte. Its wellbeing!
References:
https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/blog/7176/8-reasons-to-take-a-rest-day/
https://www.cnet.com/health/how-to-tell-you-need-a-rest-day-and-when-to-keep-going/
https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/rest-day#benefits
https://g-se.com/uploads/blog_adjuntos/bishop_et_al._recovery_from_training_review_recovery_ii_.pdf