Running should i take a day off

We runners pride ourselves in our unwavering commitment to our training plans. No matter the weather, our work schedules or other commitments, we get outside and run. While this dedication is often what our non-running friends admire, sometimes it can cause us to ignore what our bodies are telling us and we wind up injured, burnt out or both. Running is usually a mood-booster, but without adequate recovery, your cortisol stress hormone levels remain elevated for a prolonged period of time, which can negatively affect your mental health.

It turns out, letting your body rest for a day actually helps it to become stronger. Trying to squeeze in extra runs may seem like a good idea, but it can actually hurt you in the long run. Because of this, Bolton says if a rest day is planned, take it! Once you learn why your body needs the rest and how to make sure it fits into your schedule, it will make you feel better about taking a day — or two — off every week.

Rest days should be considered an important part of the big picture of your training. Just as you would schedule a long run or speed workout, you should also factor in at least one day a week to recover.

It just became a routine for me to aqua jog on Fridays. Sometimes I would run instead because I wanted to run with my roommates or I was short on time and going to and from the pool took longer than running out of my front door. I always felt a little beat up come Sunday if I did not take a rest day that week. Over the years as I developed as a runner and matured as a person and athlete, I have learned the value in taking a rest day.

It allows my body a full day of rest from pounding, something I really needed in college when I was battling injuries and struggling to stay healthy. Taking a rest day also allows your body to absorb the training you have been doing and you may actually see a fitness boost following a day of rest. This is the same logic that applies with lifting weights. You make your gains when you take a rest day and allow the body to absorb the work you have been doing.

Running follows the progressive overload principle the gradual increase of stress placed upon the body during exercise training and as we adapt to that stress on our body we get strong enough to handle back-to-back runs. Active recovery is a day or two where you are specifically recovering from the stress you placed on your body during the speed session.

Don't be fixated on reaching a goal number of miles in a week if you are feeling fatigued or sore. Pay attention to pain and soreness so you can head off a potential injury. Experts often advise those just starting out to run no more than three or four days per week.

Aim for 20 to 30 minutes of activity on running days, two days of non-running workouts, and at least one rest day per week. As you build your endurance, speed, and aerobic capacity, you can begin gradually adding more running to your training.

You may want to start out running every other day. This will give you sufficient recovery time while you are building a running habit. You can either take a complete rest day or do another activity on your days off from running.

But you also need to be careful that you don't let rest be an excuse for not running. You'll need to stick to a consistent schedule if you want to achieve your training goals and reach your desired fitness level. If you're a more experienced runner, one or two rest days should be sufficient for injury prevention and recovery.

As a rule of thumb, limit your total mileage to no more than 40 miles per week to reduce your risk of injury. Cross-training can help balance your muscle groups, boost strength, increase flexibility, and improve your cardiovascular endurance. Some good cross-training activities for runners include:. Overuse injuries are often the result of doing too much, going too fast, or working too hard.

If you do choose to run every day or even most days, there are some important things you should do reduce the strain on your body. While rest days are important to prevent injury, running every day may have some health benefits. Staggering your running days with cross-training or complete rest days can be an effective way to enjoy the benefits of running while still giving your body the occasional break.

Whether you're looking to run faster, further, or just start to run in general, we have the best tips for you. Sign up and become a better runner today! Running as a key lifestyle medicine for longevity. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. Shorter term aerobic exercise improves brain, cognition, and cardiovascular fitness in aging.

Front Aging Neurosci. Longevity in male and female joggers: the Copenhagen City Heart Study. Am J Epidemiol. Dalleck LC.