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-   -   How much do you exercise on "rest" days? (https://www.bikeforums.net/training-nutrition/1248496-how-much-do-you-exercise-rest-days.html)

MinnMan 03-17-22 07:23 PM

How much do you exercise on "rest" days?
 
apart from a very short bicycle commute, in typical weeks I ride about 5 days and rest for two. Prior to the pandemic, when I started working from home, I didn't give my exercise on "rest" days much thought, but once the pandemic hit, those days could be truly sedentary - sitting at a desk or on a couch. In contrast, going to work involves either a few miles of cycling or 20 minutes of walking, plus a bunch of stair climbing as I go to different floors in my work building and never take the elevator. Nothing strenuous, but sufficient to get the blood flowing a little.

Post-pandemic (are we post pandemic?), I still work from home several days/week, and those could be rest days, so without conscious effort, I can spend my rest days doing literally no exercise. So I try to go out for a 30 minute walk or do something similar to keep the day from being 100% inactive.

In warmer months, I'm likely to go for a ~20 minute walk after dinner with my wife, so that helps.

I'm not talking about sneaking in a bunch of aerobic exercise on days I know I should be resting, but I'm wondering how much exercise people get on their rest days and whether there are opinions on "the right amount"?

qwaalodge 03-17-22 11:21 PM

I still do a bit of leg exercises on rest or recovery days. If don't do anything, I'll get DOMs (delayed muscle soreness) and I'll be slower the next time I ride and would require longer warm up.

grizzly59 03-18-22 12:33 AM

Bike rest day is swim 2m and lift weights

GhostRider62 03-18-22 05:10 AM

If I am fit, my typical rest day would be a 40-60 minute easy ride in a small gear on easy terrain. I am not very fit now, so, my rest day is rest as in no exercise. I try to ride at least 5 days per week and never take two days off in a row unless I overdid it on a ride and need more recovery.

pdlamb 03-18-22 08:05 AM

For this experiment of one:

When I was riding to the office, a rest day might mean taking it easy on the day after an after-work ride. The 41 minute commute would then take 45 minutes (it's amazing how little difference in ride time a huge difference in effort made!). Or taking a day off after a century ride or longer.

WFH, I've found it increasingly hard to get motivated to ride when it's raining. The next rains-all-day that hits on a weekend will probably be spent doing income taxes. Of course that involves a lot of standing, walking, squatting, and walking some more trying to find that silly scrap of paper that didn't get filed correctly. I've been known to go the the mall or a big box store and try to walk it for 20-30 minutes.

If I prop my feet up all day and watch the world go by for two days in a row, I'm probably sick.

Carbonfiberboy 03-18-22 11:06 AM

This is interesting. I think the first thing we have to do, freshman dorm style, is define our terms: rest and exercise. I'll start by asserting that these are antonyms: if you're resting you're not exercising. So what's exercise? I'd say anything that raises your HR for a substantial length of time or can cause muscle damage. Rest then is not exercising. It could be weeding your garden, vacuuming the floor, that sort of thing, but not climbing 10 flights of stairs in your office building. That's still a little fuzzy, but maybe that will do. That done, I would say that we should differentiate easy days from rest days. On rest days, we do nothing. On easy days we might go for a long brisk walk or spend some zone 1 time on our bikes, and that's still exercise.

If we can agree on the above, then obviously we do not exercise on rest days. My usual practice is to exercise every day for 5 days, gradually getting more tired, then take two days completely off and start over. The reason for resting is that the 5 days start with an all-out group ride for which I have to be rested.

3 days off in a row is my absolute upper limit. If I go over that, it'll take a week or two to get back to where I was. As one of those 5 exercise days, I might have an easy day, depending on how much I'd hurt myself the day before.

TMonk 03-18-22 11:07 AM

I do strength work on my off days. Fairly light stuff, but I try to hit upper, abs and legs a bit, between the two sessions.

caloso 03-18-22 11:38 AM

Same. My rest days include an easy commute (20 min each way) or a super easy spin with my wife. Like TMonk, I try to do strength work on those days.

MinnMan 03-18-22 11:58 AM

I would think that doing strength work on the legs would negate the point of having rest days, which is in part to allow muscle repair and growth, but maybe it is a matter of the extent of effort.

MinnMan 03-18-22 12:01 PM


Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy (Post 22443107)
This is interesting. I think the first thing we have to do, freshman dorm style, is define our terms: rest and exercise. I'll start by asserting that these are antonyms: if you're resting you're not exercising. So what's exercise? I'd say anything that raises your HR for a substantial length of time or can cause muscle damage. Rest then is not exercising. It could be weeding your garden, vacuuming the floor, that sort of thing, but not climbing 10 flights of stairs in your office building. That's still a little fuzzy, but maybe that will do. That done, I would say that we should differentiate easy days from rest days. On rest days, we do nothing. On easy days we might go for a long brisk walk or spend some zone 1 time on our bikes, and that's still exercise.

If we can agree on the above, then obviously we do not exercise on rest days. .

Agree with the above. Definitely I was not thinking about strenuous activities during days termed "rest". But some low-key activity seems beneficial as compared to completely sedentary Walking, a short bicycle commute (mine is 3 miles RT, and I maybe ride it at 10-12 mph), garden work, etc.

Marylander 03-18-22 12:22 PM

I either run a slow mile or put the bike in a low gear on the rollers for 15 minutes. I don't lift on what I call recovery days.

rumrunn6 03-18-22 12:23 PM

fwiw - I go the the gym every weekday at lunchtime. sometimes I'll go after work as well. what I do there varies with weight training or treadmill. I hardly ever ride my bike. lucky if I get 1 ride a week, usually on a Saturday. Sundays are spent at my very physical 2nd job. I guess I have no rest days

TMonk 03-18-22 02:13 PM


Originally Posted by MinnMan (Post 22443183)
I would think that doing strength work on the legs would negate the point of having rest days, which is in part to allow muscle repair and growth, but maybe it is a matter of the extent of effort.

I think the extent of effort is a big part of it. I "lift" (mostly, but not completely body weight exercises) to be more healthy, well rounded, and for overuse injury prevention (muscle imbalances etc). My routines take 20-30 minutes tops and don't leave me feeling very tired, nor do they take much recovery. On my rest weeks (every third week) - I go a little bigger on the strength stuff since I'm generating about half the normal bike fatigue.

Carbonfiberboy 03-18-22 05:35 PM


Originally Posted by MinnMan (Post 22443183)
I would think that doing strength work on the legs would negate the point of having rest days, which is in part to allow muscle repair and growth, but maybe it is a matter of the extent of effort.

Quite so. IME if I'm not tired and a little sore the day after a gym workout, I made mistakes in loading. Doing something that stresses you but doesn't result in progress is not a good idea.

PeteHski 03-21-22 12:34 PM

I find it takes some discipline to take a proper rest day. I've just been reading Geraint T's book and he talks about the psychological issues with taking rest days. But sometimes that's what your body needs to properly recover from a hard training block or race.

Daniel4 03-24-22 02:00 PM

Nowadays I take two rest days before going back to the gym. On one of those rest days I go for a bike ride at least one hour long. Yesterday, I went three hours.

Hermes 03-31-22 11:43 AM

I have found what I do on rest days to be all about context. This week, I am doing hard structured workouts with my coach at the LA Velodrome. I am staying off my legs and stretching and foam rolling between sessions. If my training is is more relaxed, I will do strength on rest days similar to TMonk . If I have to perform and recover, I do nothing on rest days.

Machka 04-02-22 07:23 AM

Today was a rest day.

Most of the day was spent in bed asleep or in my chair in the living room.

I did manage a few walks to the kitchen, bathroom and front door to look outside.

Inusuit 04-02-22 10:08 AM

I alternate weights/resistance training with riding although weather often interferes. Rest day is yoga and stretching.

ErinKeegan 04-28-22 11:35 PM

I can't say that I have rest days, because I go jogging outside every day, if the weather is bad I use my treadmill, #2 from this list, very satisfied. Also, I can cycle with my family or go swimming in the pool if the weather is nice. It's not a gym, BUT still kind of training

heysushil 05-05-22 06:14 AM

I mostly go for a morning walk and skip some ropes. That's it on rest days for me,

rumrunn6 05-12-22 11:31 AM

I guess today is a rest day. I feel pretty pooped. was thinking of a ride after work. here's wishing ...

HeyItsSara 05-12-22 12:30 PM

I am supposed to take 2 rest days per week. I do take one with minimal exertion. I don't really take the other; I don't consider spin class or barre class a "rest".

bikeme 05-31-22 11:22 AM

I’m 61 and a Cat 1 mtb racer. I’m doing what you’re doing on rest days—“active recovery” which to me is light walks or hikes with my wife, something to stay active. I like walks or hikes as they are weight bearing and good for promoting bone density and coordination (the latter if on irregular ground). As for recovery rides after races or bigger training rides, they are under an hour, flat, and super easy.

BTinNYC 06-02-22 06:42 AM

Yesterday was a full rest day. Went to the Mets day game then walked a few miles into Corona, Queens.

Today is FTP test day and IDONTWANNA! Maybe I can spend the whole day cleaning the garage. Plus the dog needs a walk. Food shopping. Busy, busy, busy.


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