Rest day excercise

[Flowell]

Hey, just mid week two and what would anyone recommend for rest day exercise? As in should it just be a bit of stretching or something more specific?

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

This made me smile..

I am always going on about exercise on rest days, ( when I am not going on about slow and steady ) especially when the runs get longer. Yes.. some rest days are for rest ..but, they are also so important for stamina and strength exercise...non impact

Folk wonder why they are tired when the runs get longer and when we recommend upping the rest day exercise they say they have not done any...well of course they are tired...our bodies need to keep up with the new running legs

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Check the advice out in this post and then think what you would like to do... Strength and Flex...

nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/s...

Swimming, cycling, Yoga or Pilates.. climbing, walking, a days' hard gardening, a blitz on housework...strength exercises, squats.. the list goes on

Stretching should be being done after each and every run too

nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/h...

So...lots and lots to choose from. Try to build up a little regime that you can fit into your life style.. many of us have them.. I have a daily routine and the rest days have the extra bits

Hope this helps... ( bet you wish you had not asked now x

[Flowell Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

Thank you so much. I am only on week two but got a fright after my first run in week one as couldn’t bend over the next day - turns out you use your stomach and back to run and I hadn’t ever used either for anything for some time (I think I was tense too, running how I thought you ran and going to fast). Anyway carefully did week one twice but leant a good lesson early - you need a lot of muscles to do this and they don’t work on their own in my normal life, so need to do more.

Those links are brilliant, thank you for being so kind with your time.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Flowell]

You are welcome

We do tend in the early days to hold ourselves tensely and I think many of us when we began this, had no idea how the running would affect us!

Just take it gently, let it all evolve and above all listen to your body, It will tell you very clearly what are normal aches and pains.. and what is not

I look forward to watching your progress

[Sortyourlife in reply to Oldfloss]

Is walking okay? I thought that would still be classed as impact but I love walking when the weather is like it has been and that’s what I’m planning on doing today!

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Sortyourlife]

Walking is fine... I used to do 10 miles each Tuesday and Wednesday, 5 in the morning and 5 in the afternoons... with small runner int raining in her pram.. now she is walking too Not that far though..

Decent walking shoes are helpful.... and off road.. perfect

[Sortyourlife in reply to Oldfloss]

How long would you recommend for a rest day? And yeah I just have a load of converse or my trainers! Usually go with the converse but I think I’ll wear my trainers today then, I love them

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Sortyourlife]

At least... thirty minutes worth... and keep it relaxed.. but brisk

[Duracellqueen Graduate]

Everything that Oldfloss says! I really wish I had followed this advice because at graduation it was obvious my strength was not a match for my running and it showed itself in pain. Now I do pilates and strength training and stretch for about 15mins after running😀

[Flowell Graduate in reply to Duracellqueen]

Thank you that is good advice about after running, will give it a go.

[Flowell Graduate in reply to Flowell]

Literally did not know you were supposed to stretch after till now!

[GoogleMe Graduate]

I feel it very much depends on your baseline state. You've had loads of great ideas and perspectives.

What do you actually *feel* like doing? Do you have a history of going at things full on and giving up? In which case making C25K your focus and learning to stick with things instead of setting yourself up for another "I'm going to do something everyday... and then when that inevitably wobbles, it will be over" scenario".

This presentation of C25K is *so* accessible that there will be people who can do it who will not be able to do so very much else. For others it will show them that they are capable of so very much more in so many ways. By all means add in something that will support the running but watch out for overloading yourself (and also, I would argue, watch out for making your whole life and thinking revolve around physical fitness)

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to GoogleMe]

Totally agree... finding what is right for you and taking a real rest day The level we are on in our runs too has an impact on that, I feel.

A question and a balance of need and choice... I had several resting, rest days last week! Caught up with my watercolour painting