This is my favorite position after getting home from a tough workout.
Ice, my first course of breakfast while thinking about what I am going to have for my second and third course (which obviously requires me to close my eyes).
You are witnessing a major event in my life. I am wearing matching socks for the first time that I can remember. How many days do you think it is going to take me to lose one of them because the dryer ate it up.
I put on a sweatshirt when I came home so that my back sweat would not be left on the leather lazy-boy.
Today’s workout was a 60 minute pump class followed by 30 minutes on the elliptical. One thing I am super grateful for is that during these shin splints I can still do the elliptical with no pain…..the femur crackage did not allow me to do the elliptical for 3 months. Even though it isn’t the same high I get from running (for me) it does help me to feel ACTIVE and like I am keeping up my cardiovascular endurance.
Even though I walked for a trillion hours around Disneyland yesterday, I am still calling it a rest day (from the gym at least). Today at the gym I remembered how much our bodies love rest days because the next day we are READY to go and get a great workout in.
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How often do you take a rest day? I have read in different books that 1 every 7-14 days is best….what do you think?
How often do you ice?
-Icing these shins 2-3 times a day. Not only do I look like a really cool person walking around Trader Joe’s with ice sleeves but they also make my legs feel so good.
WHAT WAS YOUR WORKOUT!?!?!
39 comments
Ashlyn
Fun post! I never have matching socks either, which has forced me to buy all plain white socks, it works! :)
I generally take at least 2 rest days a week. I never used to (only took 1), and then I ended up getting a stress fracture (which I know could have been caused by other things too) but now that I take more rest days I literally feel way more energized on the days I do work out and I have more endurance. The best part is that my injury hasn’t spiked up again in several months! Rest is so important, which I know you know! :)
Tara @ texasrunnergirl.com
I usually do 2 or 3 rest days. I’m getting old and I need my rest. Plus, it feels so good to get back out there with fresh legs. Tonight’s workout is an easy one after speedwork last night, just 20 mins easy running.
I ice almost after every run. My friends are concerned that something is wrong and I had to explain to them that icing is completely normal. Those non-runners are so cute when they are worried.
kari @ Running Ricig
I ice once or twice a day depending on if I’m actually in pain or just icing for prevention.
I take a rest day once a week, but it’s usually spent still being active like hiking or taking long walks with the dog.
My workout today is going to be a run with my running buddy in some serious heat and humidity. I hope he doesn’t kill me.
Hayley @ Hayley Daily
Haha, okay…I need a lazy boy. Stat.
I usually take 1 or 2 rest days a week. Though, since I moved to London, some weeks that’s upped to 3 a week, due to different circumstances. I guilt myself into feeling like I should be out doing other things in the city (since I’m here on limited time — one year) rather than spending time inside of a little university gym. When I’m living back home in the states, things are different. Almost always one day a week then.
Danielle
I try to take 1 or 2 a week, I have only 1 full rest day on my weekly marathon training plan…
I am going to channel your elliptical/TM workout and do a mix of 20 min on each and then if the thunderstorms let up, I am going to go play field hockey!!! so excited!!
Lizzy @ runbakerace
I can’t wait to workout tonight after work. Can’t decide between swimming or running, might get wild and do both :) I take a rest day once to two times a week. Usually depends on when I am late coming home from work.
Brittany *Sparkles*
My weakness is taking rest days after working out too hard with strength training. I’ll almost ‘punish’ myself for skipping the gym and just running most days so when I’m finally in the gym I’m like “better make it count!” Then in addition to an hour cardio I do an intenst hour of lunges, squats, etc.. most inspired by Jillian Michaels videos. The next day I whimper around because my muscles are so sore… Probably not the best strategy… gotta re think this one…
Heather Whipple
Disneyland hardly counts as an “off” day hahahaha I usually rest on Sunday, so then I’m ready to go on Monday! My workout today is 30 min running, and 30 min majorly inclined walk. Then strength training! Woo! I am having a seriously bad right calf muscle problem! I don’t know if it needs ice, or what it needs but it’s cramping like crazy and getting knotted. It’s bad. Any suggestions?
Katy @ fitinheels
Yesssssssss… you should patent this- Cold Yoga!!! It’s very similar to Savasana (Corpse) pose :)
I’m so sorry you have shin splints! I reconnected with the Elliptical when mine were flaring up. I would ice the same as you, 2-3 times a day. Feel better!!
Emily@RunningPerspective
girl, i am feeling the injuries and im so so depressedddddddd first my hips and now my kneeeee…i think its time this girl learns what a rest day is all about!
Raina
Way to save the lazyboy :)!
I ice when I feel a weirdness that is obviously not DOMS…and when I am paranoid about getting hurt – or after a particularly hard workout- and when I have the 10 minutes to do it! If I have a tendonits thing, i try to do it a few times a day..I iced one ankle today… just to feel like i did the right thing :)
Hope you had a great time at Disneyland!
Dorry
I take 1 complete rest day 1 day/week, sometimes 2. But I tend to sneak in a yoga class or a bike ride. :)
Lindsey
I take one reat day a week usually. Unless my week is really busy and then I might have 2, but typically the 2nd rest day still involved something active – just no gym or running.
I used ice after most runs when I was in marathon training to prevent any injuries.
Jesse
i get horrible shin splints too so i ice, in a 5 gallon bucket of ice water, after every.single.run. i only run three days a week and i go to the gym to cross train the other days of the week. usually i take 1 day off every week. my workout today is going to be the elliptical then a muscle blast class! i love the muscle blast class i go to on wednesday nights :)
Mandee Pearson
I’m taking a rest day because I had 28 hours of Pilates Instruction training this weekend and I got a filling in my tooth today. So I think I’m ok to rest today. Tomorrow I begin another weekend with 28 hours of Pilates training! The good part is that I get to eat a lot to re-fuel, and am so much closer to becoming an Instructor!
Janae
28 hours of pilates…GIRL, YOU ARE HARDCORE!! Please refuel with a little ice cream too:) You are going to be the best pilates instructor…I might have to come to your classes!
Mandee Pearson
thank you!! You’re so encouraging! 28 hours over 4 days I might add….but its still killer. YES please come to Oregon and let me give you free private lessons before I take the exam for my certification! I need 30 hours of practice!
Happy
Frankly I think that’s absoluetly good stuff.
gdbinmx
7ITkXL wvawcgmoatti
Nora
Thankfully I haven’t had to ice in a while!!!! Today I swam 3100m
Lindsay@ In Sweetness and In Health
I usually do 1 rest day a week. Sometimes I’ll do 2 if my body really needs a break or if I’m crazy busy. I went on a leisurely walk today- not really a workout, but at least I did something :)
Alyssa
I always do at least one rest day a week, I can tell my body needs it. More if necessary, but one usually does the trick. I LOVE it because I sleep in and I feel like it’s a mental rest day too. I try to ice after every run but this post reminds me to do it more! Today was actually my rest day, so my workout was – resting!
Kat
I tend to take 1-2 a week, or sometimes I don’t take any at all for a week or two. My body tends to let me know that I’m overtraining by feeling like crap.
I ice 1x a day, but I should probably up that since my knees and my ankle are not doing so wonderfully. In my defense though, I do keep that ice on till it’s almost fully melted and no good.
Today’s workout was about an hour of biking outside, 1.5 miles on the treadmill (no ankle plain!! though it is taped up, so that’s probably why) and 15 easy minutes on the elliptical. Also 35 minutes shooting hoops, which ends up being quite the arm workout.
Vicky
If you want to get read, this is how you shulod write.
Kerry @ Half Healthy, Half Nuts
I wore a pedometer the last time we went out to Disneyland and in two days we walked 15 miles between the two parks and Downtown Disney. And on the third day I ran the Disneyland Half Marathon. Insane.
Michelle
Dude. Kara Goucher totally rocked the elliptical when she was hurt. She said so in her book. You’re in good company.
I take at least 1 rest day a week, but I try and take two. I love me some rest days. :) I also ice religiously after every run (got a bag on each knee right now) but if something is bothering me I ice 2-3 times a day.
karen
I’m pretty religious to my schedule, and usually take one day a week completely off and bask in it :-) I used to run higher milage, and now I find, that with less running days and less total milage, I’m actually running as good if not better than I was when I was running more. I know run 3 days a week (usually somewhere between 20-30 miles), and go to the gym 3 days a week to an AWESOME class that changes each day. mon and fri it’s 30 mins spin and 30 mins sculpt, wed it’s all legs/core, etc etc. Other than that, it’s lots of time with my kiddalumps!
Amy
Where did you get your ice wraps? I’m looking for some new ones. Thanks
Gracie (complicated day)
Got to say…I don’t exercise super hard, so maybe it doesn’t matter, but I do NOT like rest days. If I skip running for a single day, my calf extensors are incredibly sore the next time I run. I have never figured out why, but it makes me skip my rest days!
Sarah
You are awesome! I have never done a pump class but it sounds pretty intense. Whenever I had to cross train, elliptical was sooo hard for me… I would have to break it up in short segments to get to an hour or switch off and do ten minutes of biking every so often or else I would go insane.
Good job on icing too… I really should ice more! My legs need it but I hardly ever do it.
I have always taken Sundays off and I love it! It is a perfect break and separates the weeks for me and helps me be ready to go on Monday! It also give me time to focus on other things. When my weeks are really busy, I may miss another day during the week, but it is usually because I don’t have time, not because I want/need another rest day.
Today I almost didn’t run because I didn’t have time until 9 or so, but when my husband went to play basketball with some friends at 9, I decided I would take the opportunity to go out and run 9 miles. I figured I wouldn’t go to sleep until he got home anyways :) I am glad I did it!
I hope your shins get better soon, keep taking care of them!!!
Christel
Hmmm…how many rest days a week? Two generally. I guess I’m lazy. ;)
Christel
Oh, and I really do hope those shins of yours will start behaving again…soon! Naughty shins!
rumfunandsun
I want ice sleeves…for my entire body! I don’t ice enought and I rest 6 our of 7 days (I kid) it really depends. I feel like I haven’t been doing any “real” exercise because the move was so physical I couldn’t!
kyn
just wondering if you ice ever day? I do not workout nearly as much as you do. If I do a 60 minute pump class I call it good? I’ve never had to ice and I just wondered if it was because of how much you run/ran?
Janae
It is because of my shin splints! I never used to have to ice before unless it was an ice bath after a long run to prevent injuries:)
Yolie @ Practising Wellness
I tend to take complete one rest day a week :-) sometimes two. Depends where I’m at. I’m sorry for being such a dunce, but how come you ice your shins? Does it help with your shin splints? I hope they are on the mend and healing! :-) Dude, you are EPIC, lol! A beast at the gym ;-) So good that you get to use the elliptical still – I love that machine! My workout today was so much fun! I spent most of it chatting with the instructor on duty, laughing like a crazy person and we even did the shuffle across the gym when the LMFAO song came on. Fun times! I did manage to find the time to do a wicked lower body workout (step ups, lunges, squats, quad extensions – 3 sets of 15 reps of each) and 40 minutes on the Arc Trainer. Was awesome! <3 xyx
Missy
I want to only take 2 rest days a week..but sometimes it’s more than that, depending on how I feel after work. Lately I have been working alot of overtime so I am exhausted when I get home.
Rachelle
I do that too! When I’m all sweaty and don’t feel like taking a shower I wear a sweater or wrap myself up in a burrito blanket (don’t worry I reuse the blanket for the next shweaty workout too ;)
Cole
Where did you get your ice sleeves?? I need some like that!!