Posted: 7/7/2011 7:17:30 AM EDT
|
so i have a friend that has begun running again recently. she has always been a runner, but has started hitting it hard again in the last few months. she had a little boy about 18 months ago, and is determined to get back into shape. anyway, she runs a minimum of 6 miles/day, sometimes a little more, and sometimes doubles up. she's frustrated because she can't seem to get rid of the last few pounds (down about 15, wants to lose 10 more). she'll take sundays off, but other than that feels as though something is wrong if she doesn't work daily. frankly, i think she is working too hard, and needs to have at least one more day off, mid-week. it would also help if she ate more regularly (tends to skip meals, eat only a bite here and there). so what is the verdict on rest days? how often should she be taking a day off, and what could i suggest to her as alternates to the run, which is pretty much what she does exclusively? |
|
Weight loss is a function of diet not exercise. Running 6 miles is probably burning ~600 calories. Some people consume that much in their morning Starbucks. She doesn't need to worry about when she is eating or how often but the totality of what she is eating.
Her running schedule would be extremely heavy for me but if her body can take it more power to her. I don't do well training the same body part more than 2 days in a row and usually stick to 1 day on 1 day off. When I run 2 days in a row I really feel it on day 3. It isn't worth risking injury for me to do more than 2 days in a row. |
|
Caloric intake is the key to weight loss not exercise. Exercise helps some but the bigger benefits are the physiologic functional changes.
Rest is good. At least one day a week, training wise I recommend 2. Depends on the pace she is running at everyday. I would vary up the mileage and pace, taking at least one day off or doing something active like playing with the kid, walk, leisure bike ride, swim, etc anything with the family and easy. As mentioned some weight lifting would be a good thing too, 2 days a week, large muscle groups. |
|
Quoted:
frankly, i think she is working too hard, and needs to have at least one more day off, mid-week. That depends entirely on her goals and if she is achieving workout objectives. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with running 6 (or even 7) days/week. I run 6 days/week and swim 2-3 and ride 2-3 days/week. In fact, if she is having trouble meeting workout objectives, I'd encourage her to retain the 6 day/week schedule and back off a bit of a couple individual sessions, assuming her goals are run performance oriented. |