Do you have to have rest days ?

[Sallieg66]

The app says have a rest day between each run (week 1).Did one yesterday and I'm due for my next run tomorrow but too busy, can i do it today or would i best to leave it until Weds ?

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

When you run the impact creates microtears in your muscles which repair and strengthen on your rest days, not while running. Without rest, there is no repair, no strengthening and so increased injury risk.

Take the extra rest day.

[Buddy34 Graduate]

Yes you really need rest days between each and every run. Running on consecutive days you are more lightly to get an injury that could put you out of running for a few weeks 😊

[GoogleMe Graduate]

Yes, you do. Well, a non-running, or non-high impact day.

The aim is for this to be a new and sustainable habit rather than getting to the end of the programme by a certain point.

[NearlyMan Graduate]

What defines a high impact activity? I’ve been playing tennis on some of my rest days and been absolutely fine, but I’ve played five a side on Thursday (and run Wednesday and Friday) and have had to wait until today to do the next run.

[sTrongFuse Graduate]

Pretty much non-negotiable. Taking your rest days won't hurt you and lets your body repair. Not taking a rest day prevents recovery and increases the risk of injury. There is no time limit to completing this programme. Don't think of a "week" as seven days, think of it as a convenient label for the time taken to successfully complete each set of three runs.

Thanks to injury (not actually running related), one of my "weeks" lasted 8 months...

[DiscoRunner Graduate]

To add to everyone else - the repair/rest day is where a lot of what you are running for happens! If you’re trying to get toned - all that magic happens while resting - new muscle, new bone cells, new micro capillaries to get the blood flowing to those new muscles - all things that will make you a stronger better runner!

[AndrewMo Graduate]

I find the rest days essential because they keep me motivated. I look forward to the running days for the good feelings I have afterwards. They keep me from overdoing it. In addition to the soild physical reasons for the rest they help me psychologically.