Exercise keeps you young (if you're a mouse)

[HFWR]

Concerning the need for rest days...

Snip...

Perhaps rest in this context is alternating heavier and lighter days. For me, at least, the gas tank gets low if I try to do heavy stuff every day. So I try to walk or bike 4-5 days a week, and do a challenging weight workout a couple of times a week.

The other kind of rest, aka sleep, is important all the time...

 

[GregLee]

I've seen it said that athletes require rest days, or at least an alternation of types of workout, because strenuous exercise causes small tears in the muscles, and these require more than 24 hours to heal. I don't think this applies to me, since my exercise is not that violent, and I exercise 7 days with no apparent problem.

 

[Alan]

I mix it up almost every day and only do weights twice a week. Tomorrow (Friday) is deep water running

The only exception to repeat exercise for me is tennis which I take when I can get it. When I took it up 5 years ago after 15 years of not being able to play (because of back surgery, then shoulder problems and surgery), I could only manage 1 game a week, but over this past few years I can play twice in the same day, and during school breaks 3 or 4 times in a week (when I have more partners with time to play).