Daily (no matter what) Walkers...Days "off" or Never?

[wannabelf]

I've walked an average of 13K every single day since I began with fitbit(10K at first even if it took til midnight cause I was slow,much faster and more steps later), for 3 months,no matter the weather. Lost over 20 lbs of my 30 lb goal so far. Very happy.Cold and rain and slush and mud on my paths...the whole 10 yards,so to speak....Nothing stopped me. I did do One "experiment" day to find out how much I'd walk if I wasn't doing my self imposed "program". I Learned a Lot from that day! I discovered my Natural inclination was to walk much more happily in the morning Instead of the afternoons when I'd always done my "push". I learned that left to my instincts I Needed my morning walk to be happy but didn't "enjoy" my afternoons nearly so much.By the evening I was 4K less than my "program" and couldn't Eat like I wanted That day! (laughing at self). 

Well, after the experiment I've happily been walking a lot more in the mornings and got right back to my program and have eaten what I want again Too!

Now,after several nice sunny or just overcast days it's Both cold and pouring rain. I've felt nothing but resistance All morning and now I need to push in the afternoon to get "anywhere". My hubby has watched my progress for 3 months and says I've Earned a "well deserved break" and not to stress,if I'm struggling so very much today. I dunno...............

Lots of walkers do Not do every single day. So I'm really asking the Every day walkers if they've Ever let one go(when they were not ill or some emergency happened). I'm Not worried about tomorrow. I Do already know I'll be right back to it. Today I just feel so very "off". What do you think?

[betpchem]

I think it's perfectly acceptible to take a day off once in a while. Even dedicated runners take rest days. I have certainly had days where I don't feel like exercising and I don't. As long as it doesn't become a new habit, I think you can take a day off without guilt. You don't want to get burned out.

[USAF-Larry]

I do something every day, but not every day is an intense workout day. If I work out particularly hard one day, I take an "easy" day the next day for my muscles to recover. "Easy" days may include walking 3 or 4 miles, or visiting the mall for some mall walking and stair climbing. Then, the next day it is time for a workout again...

[emili]

@wannabelf- I know what you are saying. My rest day is Friday from the gym. And I don't move all day. I work from home on Fridays too so if I get 3K steps in- its a miracle. The days that are not off days if I skip the gym, I have this very long its OK talk with myself the entire day and it becomes worse than if I had just gone. I think I skipped 10 days total in the past 2 years that weren't friday. But the next morning I wake up and nothing is different. No awfulness has happened. It's OK to skip, just do it because you think its OK, not because others are telling you its OK. (when my husband does that, I want to stab him with a spoon).

[wannabelf]

Thank you All !

Today I ended up off routine but have ended up with good steps anyway. My daily dog walk is not optional at all (in my mind) so I ended up getting "warmed up" for that by walking inside the house from end to end until I was so bored I couldn't stand it. ROFL. Then just half way into the dog walk(it's not very long only about 1500 steps and my doggie is Done and lets me know it) it got significantly warmer outside(this time of year one Never can predict the Whole day here)and after that it stopped raining for me. ha. So I got most of the laps around the property in I would have done earlier in the day. I guess I was fussing So much because I'm still in "weight loss" mode and still a little edgy about it. My intent is for my walking to be "forever" now but I'm sure these change-ups will happen now and then. At my age I just feel more secure doing enough every day. I can't do double the next day or I'd get myself sore. When I got sore beginning all this I sure had to go Slow the next day. I did my steps but it took forever so I learned to never overdo it!  In the future when I'm figuring out how to "maintain" I sure like the idea of an easier day once in awhile though. I'll just wait for days I feel like I did this morning to happen! ha.

[USAF-Larry]

Some times we do have problems getting our outdoor exercise in the Spring here in Ohio, @wannabelf.  

[WendyB]

I really try and walk every day. It gets me going. But there are some days I just dont want to. So I take it off. I listen to my body and do what it wants

My Sundays I do try and walk, But the rest of the day is Netflicks Binge watching. We all need a break

[breakingblue]

I hit atleast 10k steps every day. On my bad days when I just don't feel like I can do it I will still walk or move until I hit 10K steps (My current goal is 14k a day). I feel like if I least get some movement even if it's not my full goal it's better than not at all.

[Corney]

Listen to your body, your body is telling you to take a day off.  Don't become obsessive/compulsive about walking, enjoy a day off once in a while, your body needs a rest!

[bcalvanese]

I power walk every day at about a 4mph pace.

I usually do a 3 to 5 mile power walk during my lunch break, and another 1 to 3 mile in when I get home before dinner. Sometimes I try to squeeze another quick mile in before bedtime.

Once in a great while I slack off, and there where a couple times that it was raining too hard, or just too cold (like single digits), but other than that it's 1 to 3 power walks a day.

On the weekends I go to a state park pretty close to me. They have very hilly trails. I have 3 different routes that I do there. a 5.25 mile, a 7.25 mile, and an 8.5 mile. The elevation on each is about 500 feet, so thats equivalent to about a 50 story building. I get my heart rate up pretty good on those routs.

But there is nothing wrong with taking a day off as long as you get back at it. To me, it's such a habit that It's just part of my normal day.