Rest Days: How Many You Need and What to Do
Progress happens during recovery. Here is how to plan your week around it.
This article is general wellness information, not medical advice, and is not a diagnosis or treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified professional before making individual health decisions. Read our full disclosure policy.
This is general information, not medical advice. Check with your doctor before major changes.
If you train hard and feel worse each week, the missing piece may be rest. Your body adapts to exercise during recovery, not during the workout. Here is how to plan it.
Key takeaways
- Plan one or two days off from hard training each week.
- Give the same muscles about 48 hours before you train them hard again.
- Easy movement on a rest day is fine and helps many people feel better.
What the guidelines say
The CDC suggests adults get about 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, plus muscle strengthening on at least two days. That leaves room for rest days. Mayo Clinic experts suggest that people building back into training take a day or two off from all exercise each week.
How much you need depends on how hard you train, your sleep, your stress and your age.
Six steps to plan your rest
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Count your hard days. A hard day is a workout that leaves you tired or sore the next day. Most people do well with no more than three or four a week at first.
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Space the same muscles apart. Leave about 48 hours between strength sessions for the same muscle groups. A simple plan is strength on Monday and Thursday, with easy days between.
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Schedule one full rest day. Put it on the calendar like an appointment. A day off you plan is one you take.
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Make easy days easy. Active recovery means a walk, gentle stretching or an easy ride. You should finish feeling better, not more tired.
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Protect your sleep. Sleep is when you recover. Our sleep hygiene guide covers the five things in the room to fix first.
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Add load slowly. A common rule of thumb is to raise your training by no more than about 10% a week. Bigger jumps ask your body for more than it can adapt to.
A sample week
This is an example, not a prescription. Adjust it to how you feel.
- Monday: strength
- Tuesday: easy walk
- Wednesday: rest
- Thursday: strength
- Friday: easy walk or stretch
- Saturday: longer activity you enjoy
- Sunday: rest
Signs you need more rest
Take a lighter week, and talk with a doctor if these persist:
- Tiredness that does not lift after two or three easy days
- Getting sick more often than usual
- Trouble sleeping, or a resting mood that is low
- Workouts that feel harder at the same effort
Soreness for a day or two is normal. A drop that lasts weeks is not. If you cannot tell the difference, take the lighter week first, then ask a professional.
Put it into your week
If you are new, start with the plan in strength training basics and keep two days between sessions. If your days are busy, try the ideas in stay active as days get shorter.
Your checklist for this week
- ☐ Mark your hard workouts on the calendar.
- ☐ Pick one full rest day and put it on the calendar.
- ☐ Plan one easy walk for another day.
- ☐ Leave 48 hours between strength days for the same muscles.
- ☐ Note how you feel after each workout, and adjust.
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This is general information, not medical advice. Check with your doctor before major changes.
