Should You Run Every Day?

One of the biggest misconceptions among runners who want to get faster is that they should run every day. In reality, the body actually needs rest days to recover, repair muscles to get stronger, and re-adapt to the training load. So, if you run every day without taking days off, you won’t see much improvement.

The American College for Sports Medicine recommends one to two rest days per week to reduce your risk of injury. Running puts a lot of stress on your joints, and taking rest days will give them a chance to recover from all that pounding.

It’s also good to take a mental break from running, so you don’t lose motivation by running every day. You’ll reduce your chances of feeling burned out and bored of running. We all have limited amounts of physical and mental energy and if we keep drawing on our reservoir of energy without replenishment (rest), we’ll eventually burn out and break down.

Most runners need at least one, even two, days off from running and other exercise. Research has shown that taking, at least, one day off a week reduces the frequency of overuse injuries, such as shin splints and stress fractures. Giving your body a chance to recover will help you feel better and stronger during your runs.

Even the most elite runners take rest days, although rest days for them usually involve a low-impact cross-training activity, such as swimming. Those types of cross-training days are considered to be rest days because they give the joints and muscles you use in running a break.

When to Take a Rest Day

The best days for rest will depend on what type of runner you are and if you’re training for a specific event. If you tend to run a lot of miles on the weekends, then Monday might be a good rest day for you.

If you’re training for a long distance event like a marathon and you do your long runs on Saturday, you may want to rest on Friday, so you have fresh legs for your long run. Some runners like knowing that they have a rest day to look forward to at the end of a long week.

Beginner runners may want to start out running every other day, to give themselves sufficient recovery time while still building a running habit. You can either take a complete rest day or do a cross-training activity on your days off from running.

If you’re a more experienced runner, one or two rest days should be sufficient for injury prevention and recovery. It’s important to listen to your body and if you feel like you need a rest day, take it.

But you also need to be careful that you don’t let rest be an excuse for not running. You’ll need to stick to a consistent schedule of running if you want to achieve your training goals and reach your desired fitness level.

Recover and Recharge With Rest Days

Many training programs are designed with hard workout days followed by a rest day or an easy workout day. A hard workout may be either one at a faster speed, a longer distance, or including challenges such as hills.

If any of your running workouts fall into the “hard” category, you should take a rest day the next day. Easier activity such as walking or swimming can help work out muscle soreness while not putting additional stress on your body. Or, you can take a complete rest day if you feel like you need it.

Rest days give your body the chance to capitalize on the training effect of your runs. As you challenge your muscles, you’re encouraging your body to repair and build new muscle. Your fitness will improve faster if you get enough sleep and schedule a rest day after harder training days.

Aim for Consistent Exercise

You also want to avoid “weekend warrior” syndrome where you only do a long, hard workout on the weekend, with nothing in between. If you find yourself with a schedule where you are running every day or only running on the weekends, you need more structure.

Look at your calendar and plot out the times and distances you will be running for the week. Schedule the rest days so you know they’re part of your plan.

You might feel worried that not running will lead to a break down of your commitment to running. If you can look at a schedule and know that rest days are just part of the plan, that may help.

What If I Miss a Day of Training?

So what happens when you’re forced to take an unscheduled rest day? This question comes up all the time, from runners of all different levels who are training for all different types of races. In other words, ALL runners miss days of training here and there. Sometimes we get sick, work gets in the way, or we have to deal with a family issue. Even professional runners take days off when they need to.

It’s easy to feel discouraged if you get busy or sick and you miss a day — or several days — of training. Don’t beat yourself up for missing a run — life happens. It’s especially important if you’re sick that you give your body a chance to recover.

Should I Make Up Missed Workouts?

If you miss a day or two of training, don’t feel pressure to cram it into your schedule and double up on workouts. Don’t be hard on yourself for missing a day, no matter what the reason.

Pick up where you left off, regain your momentum, and get back on track. Just try to return to your schedule as soon as you’re able, since we all know how one or two days off can quickly turn into a week, then two weeks, and then you get to a point where you’re feeling totally unmotivated to get back to running.

When you begin a new exercise regimen, you may be more vulnerable to getting sick, since you’re more tired than usual and your body is worn down. To avoid getting sick and keep running, make sure you get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, eat a healthy diet, and wash your hands frequently.