Question about Rest Days

[Magellan]

I’m six months in to this running lark. I’m running three times a week, having heard about all the various ways I will injure myself if I don’t have rest days. I have had to skip a week on a couple of occasions with the beginning of shin splints, but they never got bad. I am doing JuJu’s Magic Plan but doing each week twice because I reckon I am better off with slower increases, because of being overweight and in my youth sport gave me bad knees.

How restful should my rest days be? Can I go for a hilly walk every day? I have never felt better than since I took up running, and I have bags of energy that I want to expend. Should there be a day of total rest or anything? Is it okay to run and go for a ninety minute walk on the same day?

[Tasha99 Graduate10]

Walking is fine on a rest day. And on a run day really. Cycling is good. Anything non impact.

[Buddy34 Graduate10]

Walking is great for rest days and on run days. I go out on long walks with the dog and it keeps the legs nice and loose . 😊🐕

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10]

Rest days should be active... just not involving high impact exercise.

Walking, swimming, cycling etc are all great. The only proviso is that it’s an exercise that you’re used to doing, for example if you’re new to cycling, a 50 mile ride the day before a run wouldn’t be good, if you’re used to such rides it’d be perfect. So if it’s a new exercise, start small and build up slowly, just like C25K.

[Magellan Graduate10]

Thanks, this is all reassuring.

[Grannyhugs Graduate10]

Great effort, hopefully by slowly building up your running you'll find knee niggles from your youth are fading as supporting muscle builds up. Walking after runs helps ease muscles. You may actually find you seize up more by doing too much resting🤣 if you have the energy, keep low impact activity going. Happy running 🤗

[Magellan Graduate10]

Ooh, that’s nice to know!

[ju-ju- Graduate10]

Great to walk, cycle etc etc... doing all these things will help you to get even fitter. Well done too And great plan to do each week twice, a lot of people have done that and it really helps.