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From 2 videos

What should I do on rest days from lifting?

Answered by Nikkiey Stott and her guests · Updated

The short answer

Walk. Nikkiey's answer for rest days is to hit your step goals, not to sit on the couch and not to sneak in extra workouts. The walking isn't about burning calories, which she says is minimal. It's for your mood, sleep and insulin sensitivity. She calls walking the best recovery tool you have.

Hear Nikkiey answer it

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  1. Nikkiey on why walking is the best recovery tool on days you don't lift

    Plays from 11:16 · Video: At-Home Dumbbell Workout After Menopause: 4 Key Moves

  2. Why recovery equals movement, not a day of Netflix and chilling

    Plays from 6:59 · Video: Full Body Workout Routine for Women Over 40: 4-5 Days

  3. Why muscles grow during recovery and skipping rest days slows progress

    Plays from 10:51 · Video: At-Home Dumbbell Workout After Menopause: 4 Key Moves

  4. Why recovery is slower after 40 and your training has to adapt

    Plays from 2:37 · Video: Full Body Workout Routine for Women Over 40: 4-5 Days

The full answer

Nikkiey explains that rest days are part of the plan, not a break from it. In her at-home dumbbell routine, she says to rest at least a day between lifting sessions because your muscles don't grow during the workout. They grow during recovery. Skipping rest days doesn't speed results up. She says it actually slows them down.

Rest doesn't mean doing nothing, though. On her full-body routine video, she puts it simply: focus on step goals on rest days, because recovery equals movement, not just Netflix and chilling. She's clear that the walking isn't about adding a calorie burn. What it does help, she says, is:

  • your mood
  • your sleep
  • your insulin sensitivity

This matters more after 40. Nikkiey points out that with hormones fluctuating, stress stacking up and recovery slower than it used to be, training like you're 25 leads to burnout, soreness, injury and inconsistency. Being so wrecked that you skip workouts isn't a discipline problem. It's a program that wasn't built for you. She also says soreness doesn't equal success. If you're crawling up the stairs, that's a sign your recovery is shot.

So the rest day is where the lifting pays off. Lift with intention on training days, then walk on the days in between and let your body do its rebuilding.

From Nikkiey Stott and WarriorBabe's coaching. For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.

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