Ask The Trainer: Do I Really Need Rest Days?

Welcome to my new series, Ask the Trainer! I take your questions and answer them on the blog so others can benefit from the answers. I am not a medical professional. Please always direct medical questions and health concerns to your doctor. I am happy to provide my opinion on topics of exercise, training and running. 

Our first question is a great one from Annie.

My name is Annie. I came across your blog on Pinterest and have looked through a lot of it. I've been a runner for about 5 years now. I've done several 5Ks and one half marathon. I teach so it is hard to find time to run (I'm not a big fan of the treadmill) and it gets dark early now. I'm wanting to get back into consistent running so I can do another half marathon eventually and honestly running helps me manage stress. I would love to have a running coach, but I can't afford that right now but I wondered if you would be willing to answer a question about rest days... I deal with excessive exercise and anorexia nervosa, so rest days are something I don't take. I do a workout every single day for at least an hour and am on my feet all day teaching, etc. I saw "rest day" on the training plan I followed for my half marathon, but didn't take it (I would take a rest day from running, but not from HIIT and strength). I saw what you wrote about the need for "rest days" but does that mean not to do anything exercise wise or just not run? I would appreciate some guidance. Thank you and I will continue to follow your blog!

Annie

Hi, Annie.

First of all, thanks so much for checking out my blog. I appreciate the support.

As a general rule, I do recommend at least one full rest day a week from strenuous exercise, including running and strength training. I usually recommend stretching, light Yoga, foam rolling or walking on those rest days for clients who want to keep moving.

Our bodies adapt to exercise (build muscle, get stronger, get faster) during rest, not during the actual exercise, so rest days are important to allow your muscles to repair and rebuild. If you are resistant to a complete rest day, I would at least recommend a very easy short run at a very light effort 1-2 minutes slower pace than usual.

However with all that being said, since I don't know you personally it is hard for me to say what your body needs. We are all different and only you know how your body responds to the stress of exercise. Based on what you told me, you seem to have a tolerance for a high volume workout schedule. 

My advice would be to pay close attention to some potential warning signs of overtraining such as irritability, insomnia, lack of focus, exhaustion, lack of progress in training, injuries, among other symptoms. However, if you can honestly that say that you look, feel and perform your best, I'd be remiss to tell you to change something that is working for you. It's important to cover all three: how you look, how you feel and how you perform. If you listen to your body, those things will tell you if you're on the right track in regards to your exercise volume, intensity and nutrition. If you look great but feel lousy and perform at a low level, something probably is not right. 

If you deal with eating and exercise disorders as you mentioned I strongly recommend working with medical professionals to help you navigate those issues. 

So long answer short, I believe that athletes benefit from at least one full rest day a week because our muscles need the rest to repair and rebuild. Very low volume and intensity on those days should be enough rest. I personally alternate between high intensity days, low intensity days and rest days. For example I might have a HIIT (high intensity interval training) day followed by an easy run day, then heavy(ish) lifting day, then an easy run day, HIIT day and a rest day. Sleep is also important for recovery, work towards 7-8 hours of sleep per night. I have found as I am getting older I need more rest days than I did even five years ago. 

If you listen to your body and are willing to make changes to your lifestyle and exercise schedule as needed in order to stay healthy you'll be on the right track. 

Good luck and happy training for your next half marathon! Let me know how your training goes!

Like this post? Please consider sharing. 

What do you think? Any questions? Let me know in the comments, email me or submit your question to Ask The Trainer to be answered in a future blog post. 

Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program. This is an opinion blog. No information in this blog is intended to be taken as medical advice or prescription. Please see your doctor and/or registered dietitian for any health concerns.

EMBRACING THE SUCK TO REACH YOUR GOALS

My social media friend Fit Regular Guy commented on my post "7 Things You Should Never Say to a Runner" and remarked that #6 on the list was a variation of the "4 Stages of Suck," an article he published on his blog. I loved his article and it got me thinking about what it means to embrace the suck. 

Embracing the suck means accepting the temporary discomfort of the moment. It is about mental toughness. It is about overcoming discomfort. It is about delaying gratification. It means that instead of trying to feel comfortable by any means necessary that you realize that discomfort often means growth, so you not only accept it, but you embrace it. It sucks but you are grateful for it. 

It's a mind shift. It's a way of reframing difficult situations, so your brain isn't thinking of ways to get you out of it, but rather ways to get you through it, because you know on the other side is mental and physical growth. 

This applies to many facets of life, exercise is one. Sometimes exercise is hard and it sucks. Sometimes running sucks. Do you quit or keep going? Do you give up or embrace the suck?

Getting out of bed early in the morning when it is cold may require you to embrace the suck. You could go back to bed because it is warm and cozy there, or you could embrace the suck and do what needs to be done.

---

TWEET THIS: Embrace the suck to meet your fitness goals

Tweet

---

An important distinction here is that suck refers to being uncomfortable, tired or out of your comfort zone. Suck does not mean physical pain or injury. In those cases you should immediately stop, rest and/or get help as to not cause further damage.

Train your brain to embrace the suck when doing the difficult things that can lead to positive results. Instead of thinking about how hard it is, think about how tough you are for sticking it out. Think about how you do hard things that other people won't do. Think about the great results that can come from your temporary acceptance of the suck. 

The key is to identify it and embrace it for what it is, not try to get out of it. Next time you are uncomfortable, embrace it, be grateful for it, get through it, because the tough times make you stronger. 

Like this post? It helps me when you share or save on Pinterest. 

Tweet

Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program. This is an opinion blog. No information in this blog is intended to be taken as medical advice or prescription. Please see your doctor and/or registered dietitian for any health concerns.

HIIT THE STAIRS WORKOUT

Welcome to the latest edition of workout Wednesday! This week we are going to H.I.I.T the stairs! H.I.I.T. means High Intensity Interval Training, of course. In this workout we will do an interval of high intensity stair climbs in between each strength move. 

Stair climb workouts are beneficial for runners because like hills, stair climbing helps build strength, speed and running efficiency. Work in stair or hill climbs once or twice a week in your schedule and you'll start to see improvements in your running. I love this workout because it combines cardio and strength in one efficient workout, all you need is a set of stairs. 

I went to my local track and used the stadium stairs (the same location we will be holding Fit to Run boot camps in January) but this workout can be done on any set of stairs inside or out. There were 30 steps in my climb. If you don't have as many steps in your staircase, just repeat the climb until you reach 30 steps. For example if your staircase has only 10 steps, repeat it 3 times. 

Always warm up before beginning any workout. 

STAIR CLIMBS

FORM

Keep your chest and head up with your shoulders back, eyes looking forward with your neck neutral. Keep your hands loose (imagine holding a potato chip between your thumb and pointer finger). Pump your arms at a 90 degree angle and do not allow them to cross over the front of the body. Lift your knees high as you progress to the next step. I like to think about moving vertically rather than forward. Bring those knees up high. 

SPEED

Start the bottom at a relaxed pace, gradually increasing speed as you progress to the top. The first few times it may be enough to just jog, you'll feel the change in intensity compared to running on flat ground. Over time you can increase speed as you improve.

RECOVERY

Recover by walking back down to the bottom before you perform each strength move.

THE WORKOUT

STAIR RUN

LATERAL SQUATS LEAD WITH LEFT LEG  / LATERAL SQUATS LEAD WITH RIGHT LEG x 8 REPS EACH LEG

Lower into a squat and take one large step to the side up the stairs. Staying in the low position bring your other leg up so both feet are on the same step, that is one rep. Perform 8 reps up the stairs leading with your left leg, then face the other direction to perform 8 reps leading with your right leg. Stay low! Walk back down to bottom.

STAIR RUN

SQUAT JUMPS x 8 REPS

Lower into a squat position and jump to the next step with both feet, landing softly in the low position (do not lock your knees). Walk back down to bottom.

STAIR RUN

SPLIT LUNGE x 8 REPS EACH LEG

With one leg propped up behind you on the first step lower into a lunge position. Repeat for 8 reps then switch legs. 

STAIR RUN

TRICEP DIPS x 8 REPS

Position your hands shoulder width apart behind you on the step. Bend your elbows behind you to lower your body.

STAIR RUN

PUSH UPS x 8 REPS

Start in straight arm position with your hands placed a little wider than your shoulders. Keeping your body in a straight line, while engaging your core slowly lower your chest to the step. 

Rest for one minute (or as much as needed) and repeat two more times.

Download a FREE PDF of HIIT the stairs workout - no email address required. Just click and download.

Always allow at least 48 hours between hard workouts. Never do intense workouts on back to back days. Your body repairs, adapts and grows stronger during rest (not during the workout), so it is important to allow it the proper recovery time. 

Give it a try and let me know what you think! Any questions? Let me know in the comments. 

Like this post? It helps me when you share or save to Pinterest.

Tweet

Coach Lea

Make a New Year Race-olution: 5 Ways to a Better Race in 2017

January 1st is right around the corner and everyone is making their New Year resolutions. Instead of paying penance for your holiday indulgences with a diet of carrot sticks and celery, I have a better idea. How about a New Year Race-olution?

Now this is a resolution I can get behind. Whether you are an experienced racer or a newbie wanting to tackle your first race, here are five ways to better race in 2017.

1. SIGN UP FOR A RACE AND SET A GOAL

Choosing a race that is 3-6 months in the future goes a long way in staying motivated to work out well into 2017, when most people's resolutions will be collecting dust along side their exercise equipment.

Choose a race distance that is challenging enough to keep you motivated to train, but not so outside of your scope of experience and abilities that you set yourself up for failure. You should aim high with your goals though, with the proper training and guidance you can do more than you think!

2. DO SPEED WORK

If you want to run a better race in 2017, you'll need to start by logging those training miles. Once you have a solid running base of running three to four days a week for four to five weeks it's time to start speed work, which will be a key element to achieving a better race in 2017. If you want to run faster, you need to train to run faster. Hill repeats, track work, stairs and Fartleks can all be effective ways to build speed. Aim for a speed session once or twice a week.

3. DON'T NEGLECT CROSS TRAINING

Low impact cross training is good way to increase your endurance base without adding additional stress on your joints. Activities like biking, swimming, hiking, rowing, walking or the elliptical are all great cross training choices for non-running days.

While it may be tempting to adopt an all-running-all-the-time training plan, the smartest use of your workout schedule could be to carve out some time for some strength training. A lot of runners neglect the strength portion of training, but it is vital to getting stronger and staying injury free. Stronger legs just may bring you across the finish line at a faster pace. Aim for full body strength training session at least two times a week. There are plenty of quick and effective strength workouts in the archive.

4. BE FLEXIBLE AND REST

Yoga is a great cross training activity that can benefit runners, but when I say flexible I am referring to your training plan. It will be easy to put together an aggressive training plan, then get burnt out, or worse, injured before you have the chance to meet your race goals for 2017. Listen to your body. Take rest days. Take as many as you need. Push through those hard runs, push through feeling uncomfortable, push through laziness but never ever push through pain or injury.

A few days off from running or even a week off (if necessary) for recovery is just a blip in your overall training plan. Remember that it is during rest that your body is recovering and getting stronger! Rest is an important part of the equation. Train smart and schedule those rest days for a better race in 2017.

5. FIND A TRAINING PARTNER AND HAVE FUN

Long after the excitement of signing up for a race has faded, you will still need to be training in order to achieve your race-olution. One way to keep it fun and motivating is to find a running partner or sign up for training with an organized group. Joining a running group or boot camp can be a excellent way to get expert advice from a running coach and make some new running friends. 

I am looking forward to achieving my New Year's Race-olution. I'll be running a better race in 2017. How about you? Are you missing any of these in your training plan? Are you ready to make a New Year's Race-olution? Let me know in the comments.

Like this post? It helps me when you share or save to Pinterest!

Tweet

Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program. This is an opinion blog. No information in this blog is intended to be taken as medical advice or prescription. Please see your doctor and/or registered dietitian for any health concerns.

The Mind Body Connection

I walked into my massage appointment. "How are you today, Lea?" my massage therapist asked. "I'm a mess." I started to explain how my shoulder injury was still persistent and then I recently hurt my back lifting a bin of medicine balls out of my car after my Saturday morning boot camp. He stopped me mid-sentence.

Don't say that about your body, Lea. Your body is not a mess. Tell your body you love it, that you will take care of it, that you are healthy, strong and resilient. Never tell your body it is a mess. Your body achieves what the mind believes.

He nearly made me apologize to my body for saying bad things about it. 

He's right though. I am quick to tell my exercise class that they aren't allowed to say that they can't during a tough session, because whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right. By making negative comments about the state of my body, I was not practicing what I preach.

---

Tweet this: Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right."

Tweet

---

Do I believe that just stating that I am strong and healthy will magically make me strong and healthy? Of course not, but I do believe in a strong mind-body connection. If I tell myself I am strong and healthy and work hard at becoming strong and healthy (which may include rest) than I am more likely to achieve that goal.

If I tell myself I am a mess then my body and mind may just accept that it is a mess...and we can't have that.

I have a shoulder injury, but my back is recovered completely now. I am not a mess. I am a work in progress. I am strong. I am healthy. I am healing. I am resilient. 

2017 is going to be my year. Watch out world. 

Like this post? Please consider sharing. 

Tweet

Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program. This is an opinion blog. No information in this blog is intended to be taken as medical advice or prescription. Please see your doctor and/or registered dietitian for any health concerns.