Does anyone else ever feel guilty if they take a rest day from working out? We HAVE to take rest days to let our bodies and heal and rest, so we don't do damage. I work out 5 days per week and rest for 2. I rest on Thursday and Sunday. And I have to be honest, as soon as I wake up on rest day, I start feeling like I'm doing something wrong by not working out. As the day goes on, it just gets worse, and I have to literally FORCE myself to keep my rest day. I do keep to my rest days, but I really struggle with them. Anyone else, or am I just weird?

Nope, you're not alone there. I ens up self guilt tripping if I "miss" a day or two. I'm both physically disabled AND what I like to call Neurospicy (ADHD/Autism... fun combo ?). I'm also mom to 2 kids who are on the spectrum and have complex medical issues. Things get messed up all over my planned schedule.

Try not to beat yourself up too much. Just do what you can, when you. Progress is not always linear. It can look like the stock market.... up and down all over.

(Side note... HAPPY PRIDE, EVERYONE! ?️‍?)

1 hour ago, mamabear527 said:

Nope, you're not alone there. I ens up self guilt tripping if I "miss" a day or two. I'm both physically disabled AND what I like to call Neurospicy (ADHD/Autism... fun combo ?). I'm also mom to 2 kids who are on the spectrum and have complex medical issues. Things get messed up all over my planned schedule.

Try not to beat yourself up too much. Just do what you can, when you. Progress is not always linear. It can look like the stock market.... up and down all over.

(Side note... HAPPY PRIDE, EVERYONE! ?️‍?)

Hi!!! Why have I never seen you on here before? We have so much in common. I'm Wiccan, my son has adhd, autism, and ptsd. I'm not specifically physically disabled but I have systemic lupus and MS, so that causes A LOT of physical and emotional issues.

It helps that the guilty feeling isn't just me. It still annoys me, but I'm glad it's not some crazy head trip that only I'm on lol

ME! I don't have physical disabilities but I do have 3 kids, a full time job and full time school (I'm on my last semester!) I only take Saturdays off. I feel like I have to do something if its not working out. Its silly. Yesterday I was going to take a rest day because I was at 11,500 steps without my workout just because I was cleaning, meal prepping and running errands. I ended up doing just a leg workout for 30min at 830p. I am glad I did it but man its tough some days!

So no your not weird I feel guilty!

i was JUST posting about this. (and "arguing" with mr. about it)

for me, though, its not guilt...is actual pain.

since ive been doing pilates and hot yoga (i started again after a years-long hiatus 8 months ago) i have discovered that all the aches and pains and stiffness and soreness i seem to constantly experience in certain areas in my body goes away soon after i start a session and lasts for several hours afterwards. then it comes back. then it goes away again when i go back to the studio.

i don't get as much of the relief after a run, but its the best during/after hot yoga...i feel AWESOME and pain free. im sure the super hot room contributes to this. so i like to go everyday, and if i dont, i feel not as awesome.

back in october last year, i was doing hot yoga once a week, pilates 3x a week, and a 5k maybe once every 1-2 weeks, if im lucky. plus my lazy-mans strength training in front of the tv. so i generally had 2 full rest days per week (the weekend for me).

now, 8 months later, per week, i do hot yoga 7x, pilates 3x, a 5k 1-2x, rock climbing 2x plus the lazy workouts. which has me doing multiple "sessions" per day with zero rest days. been at this level of activity for about 3 months straight.

oddly enough i dont feel any worse for wear, other than the usual aches after my hot yoga magic wears off. i am still an insomniac and have energizer bunny energy. but i am definitely stronger, so there's that (well i still suck at opening jars...hot yoga doesn't work on my grip strength lol)

anyway, long-a$$ story short, i know i need rest days for recovery and injury prevention. i just really like the several pain-free hours after a strenuous, sweaty session, and missing a day sucks, but not out of guilt...

wow. sorry! this was really long.

Edited June 3, 20242 yr by ms.sss

2 hours ago, ms.sss said:

i was JUST posting about this. (and "arguing" with mr. about it)

for me, though, its not guilt...is actual pain.

since ive been doing pilates and hot yoga (i started again after a years-long hiatus 8 months ago) i have discovered that all the aches and pains and stiffness and soreness i seem to constantly experience in certain areas in my body goes away soon after i start a session and lasts for several hours afterwards. then it comes back. then it goes away again when i go back to the studio.

i don't get as much of the relief after a run, but its the best during/after hot yoga...i feel AWESOME and pain free. im sure the super hot room contributes to this. so i like to go everyday, and if i dont, i feel not as awesome.

back in october last year, i was doing hot yoga once a week, pilates 3x a week, and a 5k maybe once every 1-2 weeks, if im lucky. plus my lazy-mans strength training in front of the tv. so i generally had 2 full rest days per week (the weekend for me).

now, 8 months later, per week, i do hot yoga 7x, pilates 3x, a 5k 1-2x, rock climbing 2x plus the lazy workouts. which has me doing multiple "sessions" per day with zero rest days. been at this level of activity for about 3 months straight.

oddly enough i dont feel any worse for wear, other than the usual aches after my hot yoga magic wears off. i am still an insomniac and have energizer bunny energy. but i am definitely stronger, so there's that (well i still suck at opening jars...hot yoga doesn't work on my grip strength lol)

anyway, long-a$$ story short, i know i need rest days for recovery and injury prevention. i just really like the several pain-free hours after a strenuous, sweaty session, and missing a day sucks, but not out of guilt...

wow. sorry! this was really long.

I've never heard of hot yoga. I want to start either yoga or pilates but I would need the waaaaay beginners stuff lol I'm not flexible or limber AT ALL. But I've heard such good things about both, and I was told yoga would be really good on my rest days, so there's that....

I'm a baby Post-Op in terms of time, but yes 100% guilt. I try to do some mild yoga or have a good stretching session and tell myself it's ok.

(Also pagan, also neuro-spicy, also LGBTQ+!) Happy Pride!!

52 minutes ago, SleeveToBypass2023 said:

I've never heard of hot yoga. I want to start either yoga or pilates but I would need the waaaaay beginners stuff lol I'm not flexible or limber AT ALL. But I've heard such good things about both, and I was told yoga would be really good on my rest days, so there's that....

hot yoga is basically yoga type efforts in a heated room (temp anywhere from 90 to 110°F)

there are the traditional yoga flow and meditative classes led at my studio, plus power yoga, mat pilates, and boxing all in a heated room (personally i dont care for the low intensity meditative ones, and prefer the strenuous or prolonged stretching or high intensity ones)

im telling you it feels AWESOME during and afterwards. but its not for everyone...you have to be ok being completely drenched in sweat (if ur doing it properly) and have generally good heart health and have no issues with dehydration nor prolonged heat. also, people generally wear minimal clothing because, yeah, the sweat. lol.

pilates is great too. i do reformer pilates (with the machine) at another studio. i was already pretty bendy, but the last several months has made me SUPER DUPER bendy.

55 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

hot yoga is basically yoga type efforts in a heated room (temp anywhere from 90 to 110°F)

there are the traditional yoga flow and meditative classes led at my studio, plus power yoga, mat pilates, and boxing all in a heated room (personally i dont care for the low intensity meditative ones, and prefer the strenuous or prolonged stretching or high intensity ones)

im telling you it feels AWESOME during and afterwards. but its not for everyone...you have to be ok being completely drenched in sweat (if ur doing it properly) and have generally good heart health and have no issues with dehydration nor prolonged heat. also, people generally wear minimal clothing because, yeah, the sweat. lol.

pilates is great too. i do reformer pilates (with the machine) at another studio. i was already pretty bendy, but the last several months has made me SUPER DUPER bendy.

Bendy...I like that lol

do any of you have a solid upper body or lower body routine?

I do a lot of free weights and machines if I don't do a home workout.

Sometimes I do YouTube videos or I will look up exercises on what muscles I want to target.

But if anyone has a solid, sweaty, muscle shaking workout I am all ears!!

55 minutes ago, AmberFL said:

do any of you have a solid upper body or lower body routine?

I do a lot of free weights and machines if I don't do a home workout.

Sometimes I do YouTube videos or I will look up exercises on what muscles I want to target.

But if anyone has a solid, sweaty, muscle shaking workout I am all ears!!

I personally don't. I typically do cardio, core and strength training, and weight training. I think I'm going to try adding in some beginner yoga on my rest days and see how it goes. I go pretty hard and get sweaty on my work out days, so I'm hoping beginner yoga will be a little easier on the sweating and still give my body a good stretch and a gentle work out while not pushing too hard.

I workout 4 times a week, due still to still being early out (not 6 months out yet) I try to workout every other day otherwise I get too sore and my muscles don't recover because I don't get in enough protein and calories no matter how hard I try. I don't feel guilt per se but I feel restlessness like I should be working out instead of resting. I also feel sluggish on those days and my mental health gets impacted (I'm addicted to endorphins and dopamine, and to me exercise is therapy).

With a history of being athletic my entire adulthood and working out consistently for decades, I don't feel good on the days I don't workout but I also remind myself of how I would feel the next day if I don't sit my behind down and give my muscles time to recover. So long story short you're not alone!