When to Take a Day Off
You're supposed to exercise, but you don't feel as good as you normally do. Should you push through or rest up?
Why would you take a day off?
You planned to go to the gym, go for that run, do the class, etc. but you’re not feeling as energized or motivated today. You’re just feeling “meh”. Hustle culture says push through, double down, and go twice as hard despite how you’re feeling. Others might say relax and exercise only if you feel like it.
I disagree with both mindsets, but the question remains: how bad must you feel to warrant a day off?
When you exercise, you sacrifice a short-term lose (fatigue) for a long-term gain (improvement). However, if all you do is apply fatigue and don’t give your body the time and resources to improve, you could end up in a worse position than you were in the first place. Here is a graph to help conceptualize this idea.
Photo from zachmooretraining.com
When you should DEFINITELY take a day off:
If you are recently injured or sick, take the day off. The idea of taking a short-term loss for a long-term gain still applies — you will avoid weeks or months of subpar workouts if you fully recover before returning to exercise.
If you exercise while still recovering from an injury, avoid stressing the injured area until you have a better understanding of what’s going on (do you need to see a physical therapist?) or you see improvement in your injury status. Either way, you need to make significant modifications to your plan to avoid making things worse.
Personally, I know I need a day off when I’ve had 2 days in a row of subpar workouts and by day 3, I’m still not feeling better. This rule has worked well for me, but you can modify how you see fit.
When you should MAYBE take a day off:
This one is tricky. Maybe you didn’t sleep well, or you’re still pretty sore from your last workout. Whatever it is, we have all thought to ourselves, “I don’t know if I should or can do this one.”
If you’re on the fence about taking the day off, here is what I recommend:
Step 1. Ask yourself, “If I saw someone else in the same state, what would I tell them to do?”
I have pushed through many workouts when I should have been resting. Had I seen someone else make the same decisions, I would have called them out. It took years, but I learned the hard way and I make much smarter decisions now. By making the decision objective, you can evaluate your situation more clearly.
Step 2. Warm up
In most cases, I recommend getting started with your workout. Put on your workout clothes and do your warm-up. You might feel like a brand-new person after getting some momentum.
If you feel awful after warming up, it’s a sign that you need to rest and recover. If you feel ‘okay’ or better, then you should proceed with your workout.
Step 3. Assess performance
At this point, you have decided to do your workout and you’re warmed up.
If you are putting in more effort than normal for the same output (i.e., weight lifted, running pace, etc.), then that could be a sign that you need to pack your bags, go home, and put your feet up.
If you’re effort is slightly higher than normal, I recommend continuing to exercise but substituting with an easier alternative. Maybe cut your workout in half and lift lighter weights. If you’re a runner and had a hard track workout planned, take it easy and enjoy a slower pace for the day.
Summary
An “all or nothing” mindset can be detrimental to fitness gains. There are many scenarios in which it makes sense to substitute your workout for an easier alternative. Getting comfortable deviating from your original plan may actually result in fewer days off in the long run.