Cardio on Rest Days?

[account closed 20]

My week typically consists of 2 cardio kickboxing classes, 1 aerobics class, full body weight training 2 times a week, sculpting/toning with resistance bands 3 times a week, 60 minutes of cardio 2-3 times a week, abs 6 days a week, 15 minutes of cardio 6 times a week, and yoga on Sundays. Sunday is what I consider my 'rest day' and I never do weight training on that day and up till now, have not done any cardio. Considering that my goal is to lose fat, do you think it would be o.k. for me to do around 40-60 mins of cardio that day?

To give you some quick background: I'm a 26-year old female, I'm 3 months post op and I'm around 170 lbs. Around 8 years ago I was fairly fit and would work out 6-7 days a week (weight training & cardio). A year prior to surgery, I played a number of sports and took up running/jogging until an injury 8 months ago. Everything in terms of my recovery from VSG surgery has gone perfectly. All my blood work is normal and I am off a lot of meds. I get 5-7 hrs of sleep at night and usually take a 2-3 hr nap during the day as well.

Do you think my post-bariatric surgery body can handle an extra day of cardio or is a full rest day absolutely necessary?

[booniedog 7]

I would recommend a full rest day even if you had never had surgery. Rest is at least as important as the workouts themselves. You will do yourself a disservice by overtraining. In the past I worked out excessively (chronic cardio) and found myself suffering from adrenal fatigue, which took a long time to recover from. Here's a great article on the subject:

http://chriskresser.com/why-you-may-need-to-exercise-less

Good luck and take care of yourself!

[Globetrotter 1,340]

That sounds like a punishing schedule, particularly for someone only 3 months post op? I'm surprised your Dr has cleared you for this level of intensity, does your Dr know you are at this level? At three months your body is still healing internally, whatever it may look like on the surface. Adrenal fatigue is very real and right now you should be more focused on your diet, your psychological approach to food and the lifestyle changes you are cementing as new habits. If all it took was exercise then, according to your pre-surgery routines, you would never have needed surgery. Recovery from obesity is holistic and not just about punishing oneself at the gym.

[cheryl2586 3,053]

What people don't realize with exercise is your body needs a day to recoup after exercise. That is why they say 3 days a week. What would happen if you worked 7 days a week for year and never had a day off? You would be exhausted. Same with exercise you have to take a break and give your body time to relax also.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

You have quite a nice fitness plan in place. Super impressed. There is nothing wrong with doing something on your rest day, but keep it light as in active recovery. As others have said, you do need both physical and mental recovery. Even if you feel like you do not need it, lack of rest will catch up with you. Once you become overtrained or have a bout of adrenal fatigue, it takes some time to recover from that. To avoid over training or adrenal fatigue, you might just stick to yoga on that day. I like to do active stretching on my rest day. It is an hour of deliberate stretching from head to toe and it really feels good. I do yoga mid week. The rest of the days in the week are intense lifting or cardio days. The rest days will help you get even better and higher quality lifting and cardio days the rest of the week. Take care.

Edited March 16, 2014 by Fiddleman

[princessheather 114]

Fiddleman is correct. And no matter how hardcore we are our body needs that day of rest. I am still active on that day but never to the same degree as my other 6 days a week. My trainer made me promise to take a rest day every week about 8 months ago and im glad I do now. But I know its hard