I'm 20 years old and on an I'm going weight loss journey. In 2013 I was 22 stone and now I'm 16 stone 13lbs, so doing great! Just starting to incorporate running into my weight loss and it's going great....
I have just completed week 3 , run 1 with a little difficulty but no more than expected. Since Monday night I have completed a run daily , so week 1 run 2&3 , all week 2 and now tonight's first run of week 3....
My question is , if I'm not having difficulty, is it okay to run every evening on this program even though you're advised to take a rest day?
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Oh well done you on the incredible weights loss! Something so difficult to do that to me, by comparison, training to run is easy!! But I think absolutely totally and utterly take the rest days! Muscles get stronger by the exercise you do causing microscopic 'tears' in the fibres, which then, when they mend, mend thicker and therefore stronger (and is also that bit bigger and that bit heavier...). If you don't rest, the body can't mend the fibres in time before you run again, so they won't be properly repaired and therefore that bit stronger. Do non impact upper body weights perhaps instead. Wishing you every success!!
Brilliant weight loss and brilliant progress on C25k. Don't skip rest days. They aren't just for rest in the usual sense of the word. They are also for letting your joints and muscles build up strength. You risk getting injured if you keep skipping them. Do other types of exercise on rest days. It's just the impact of running you need to avoid.
Just wanted to say well done on the amazing weight loss that's increadble and agree with the others you could do some other activity on your rest days x
It takes 18 to 24 months to build your running legs. Once built you could run every day . Some folks do, usually a small distance each day, to allow for longer runs during the week as well.
Running too much on unbuilt legs will get you injured 😧 Take that rest day and enjoy it. Swim or cycle, dance or whatever, just dont run
Learn from an oldie, definitely have rest days, you gain as much from them as the run days. You can do other forms of exercise on rest days because you will be using different muscles - how about cycling, walking, swimming?
The rest days are there to let the micro tears in your muscles heal - this is very necessary for people just starting running.
Experienced runners don't need the repair time as much but your muscles are unused to running so are trying to grow, and need the rest time in order to do that. If not, you do run the risk of injury.
If you don't take the 'rest' days you are not doing the programme.
It's not the people who struggle to complete the runs who don't succeed in the end, it's the people who haven't taken on board that this is about pacing yourself as much as anything else. (As well as what is going on physiologically on the days you don't do such high impact activity)
There's really no rush if you have the serious intention of building running into your life - what do you think will be happening after you graduate? I know it may feel as though running every day shows determination but it is exactly that attitude which often sees folk running hard into the buffers, either through injury (which is more likely running daily as a beginner, especially an overweight beginner) or just overcoming the inevitable 'life getting in the way' phases - you're talking more about a running spasm there rather than building a habit.
By all means, do some other form of activity, particularly anything which will improve your core, your strength, your flexibility (the NHS offers companion podcast programmes which can be done concurrently if you do have that much oomph)
I was like you and didn't take the rest days and ended up with an ankle injury and I'm now walking rather than running so they are essential. Well done on your determination and weight loss that's fabulous! Can't wait to get back to this but I'll be starting from wk1 again! I was only on wk4!!!
I think that the logic behind a rest day is that it gives your body time to recover and rebuild the muscles before you strain it again. That said why not try it for a day and see how you feel?
The beautiful thing is that C25K starts at an achievable level, but even if that is too hard ensure that you get used to walking briskly for extended periods. Joints need to get used to the extra activity along with muscles.
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