On big weight loss mission and am doing 'Davina Fit' and Gillian Shredding personage from the Biggest Loser, exercise dvds. Do I need to take a rest day?

[hmc]

Since last Thursday I have been doing an exercise dvd daily - alternating between Davina, Shredding and Rosemary Conley (old hat but good for a change). My gluteal muscles are a bit achey from all the squatting, and my knees mildly twingey when I go upstairs.

Is it really essential (as some of my friends advise) to take rest days once or twice per week and do no exercise on those days? Will it do me any harm if I continue without a break?

Sorry, Gillian shredding personage in the thread title sounds quite mad. I couldn't think of her last name!

It is on the recovery days that your body actually gets stronger and changes as this is when the muscles repair and rebuild etc. This is why people tend to 'cross-train' for example, if you are training for a marathon or something then you would run for five days during the week, with a couple of days just swimming, weight training or walking, so you are still active but giving the muscles you are normally working a rest. If you work out every day doing the same thing then you can actually end up in the position where you are weaker than when you started as your muscles just keep breaking down and don't recover.

So, short answer after the ramble, yes, rest days are important , try going for a walk twice a week instead of doing the dvd perhaps.

Thanks LostGirl - hadn't appreciated the science behind it. Actually, I had just checked the weather forecast for tomorrow and since it is not going to rain was considering a 4.5 mile circular walk locally instead - will definitely now do that