If you’re following a training plan, you know the purpose of each run before you lace up. You know if you’ve got a long, endurance-building run ahead of you, or if you’re hitting the track for some speedy intervals. Even if you’re heading out for a meandering, zone 2 jog through the park, you know the point is to keep your RPE low and enjoy yourself. You may deviate from the program from time to time, but generally speaking, every run is part of a bigger strategy.
But what about your non-running days? They’re part of your training plan, too, and what you choose to do with them can either support or detract from your goals. So, if you’ve been treating every off day as a day off, or if you tend to wing it whenever you don’t have a run on the schedule, it’s time to get intentional. Every day counts!
We asked a few running coaches for their advice on optimizing your non-running days, based on whether you run three, four, five, or six days per week. Of course, every runner is different, and you should do what works for you. But, there are some universal principles and general recommendations that will work for most runners in each category. And, there are a few off-day mistakes that every runner should avoid.
Factors to Consider When Planning Your Off Days
When planning your off days, looking at your running frequency is a good place to start. But there are other training and lifestyle factors to take into account. Even if you’re running the same number of days as someone else, your non-running days may look different, depending on the following:
Goals
Why you’re running matters. “I differentiate between the runner who’s Races - Places and is trying to be very strategic with their running, as opposed to the person who might run a couple of days a week for general health and fitness,” says Jason Fitzgerald, USATF-certified coach and the host of the Strength Running Podcast.
For the runner with performance goals, every choice they make should be in service of their running. That could mean opting for more cross-training to build their aerobic base but avoiding recreational activities with a high risk of injury, like most team sports. However, someone who’s running to stay in shape may choose to spend an off-day playing pick-up basketball. (And rolling the dice on a rolled ankle.)
People who are muscle mass may forgo cross-training altogether to make more time for strength training.
Experience and Fitness Level
People who are The Runner’s World Guide to Strength Training may need to prioritize rest more than an experienced runner with a higher level of fitness and “durability,” says Melissa Kendter, How to Avoid a Pace Plateau.
She notes that doing too much too soon, including ramping up your mileage or filling your non-running days with other forms of exercise, can lead to physical and mental burnout in beginners. “Sometimes people can do really well with one complete day off, and then they cycle through their training. Or they may still need two complete days off,” she says.
Age and Training Age
Older runners may need to approach their non-running days differently than their younger peers, especially if they picked up the sport later in life. “Part of this does depend on the runner’s age and their training age,” Fitzgerald says, referring to how many years you’ve been running. “If they started running at 60 and they’re only six months into their running career, I might want them to take two days off completely,” he says.
That said, even someone who’s been running regularly for decades may need to adjust their training plan to prioritize recovery or incorporate more strength training RW+ Membership Benefits However, if your primary goal is and improve muscle function.
Injuries
Injury history is another critical factor. If you’re prone to certain types of overuse injuries, you could benefit from more recovery time or low-impact cross-training than someone who’s never dealt with strains, sprains, or fractures.
Returning to running after a sidelining injury? Your body may need more dedicated rest days as you build back your aerobic base and musculoskeletal endurance.
Your Life Outside of Running
Depending on what you have going on in your personal life, your non-running days may leave little to no time for complementary training. If that’s the case, get back to basics, says Kaleigh Ray, certified running coach and exercise physiologist.
“Make sure you’re moving and that you’re not sedentary the whole time,” she says. “And make sure you’re on your A-game with your sleep and nutrition so that on your exercise days you can really bring your best.”
Here’s What to Do on Your Non-Running Days
Every runner’s non-running days are going to look a little different depending on the factors noted above. But, assuming that you have the desire and bandwidth to use your off days to support and improve your running, here are some potential training strategies. Think of them as suggestions, not prescriptions, and modify as necessary.
When You’re Running 3 Days a Week
- 2 days: strength train
- 1 day: cross-train
- 1 day: rest
Running three days a week is the sweet spot for many runners, including beginners who are gradually ramping up their volume and more advanced runners who value having the flexibility to round out their training.
All of the coaches we talked to agreed that most runners should aim to strength train at least twice a week, as it can help safeguard against injury and support performance gains. “Strength training is what really builds that true strength and power as a runner,” Kendter says.
Working with four non-running days allows you to dedicate two days to strength training and still have one day for cross-training How to Master the Run/Walk Method rest day, The Runner’s World Guide to Strength Training.
“I want a day where your physiology is not challenged. Let’s not get your heart rate up really high. Let’s not do anything for a long time. Let’s not do anything that requires forceful muscle contractions,” Fitzgerald says.
When You're Running 4 Days a Week
- 2 days: strength train
- 1 day: rest
Or
- 1 may forgo cross-training altogether to make more time for
- 1 day: cross-train
- 1 day: rest
Again, reserve one day for rest or very gentle movement. “Maybe yoga, or go for a light walk,” Ray says. For the remaining two days, most runners should prioritize strength training, as they’re already getting a significant amount of aerobic stimulus running four days per week.
However, if your primary goal is Health & Injuries, you may want to swap one of those strength-training days for cross-training. “If you are more focused on continuing to is what really builds that true strength and power as a runner,” Kendter says and you would like to do more running but just don’t have the ability to have more Races - Places yet, you might prioritize something like cycling or swimming that’s going to give you a similar aerobic stimulus [to running],” Ray says. This could apply to the marathoner who struggles with recovery or overuse injuries when they run more than four days per week.
If you choose to cross-train, don’t drop that second strength-training session. Instead, incorporate it into a planned running day by either Download Your Runner’s World+ Training Plans or doing two separate workouts, like running in the morning and lifting in the afternoon. “You want to keep up [strength training] consistently as best you can,” Kendter says. “And it doesn’t mean you have to be in the gym for an hour. It can be 20- or 30-minute sessions.”
When You’re Running 5 Days a Week
- 1 day: rest
- 1 may forgo cross-training altogether to make more time for
Or
- 1 day: rest
- 1 day: cross-train
After a day of non-negotiable rest, that leaves just one free day. If you plan to get in two strength sessions (it’s not just the coaches’ mandate, by the way; it’s also a recommendation from the Health & Injuries), you’ll need to double up on at least one running day. If you pull a second running/lifting double, that leaves you a day for cross-training.
Again, this may be appealing for endurance-focused runners or those who simply enjoy other forms of exercise, like cycling and swimming. But if cross-training is not important to you, spend your non-running day strength training.
When You’re Running 6 Days a Week
- 1 day: rest
No surprises here. If you’re running six days a week, that one day off should be all about rest. (This also means you’ll add strength training may forgo cross-training altogether to make more time for.)
“The biggest mistake I see is that people don’t schedule their recovery like they do their workouts. They view it as ‘lazy’ or think that they’re not going to gain adaptations,” Kendter says. But that’s not the case, she says. “Recovery is where your body adapts to the training, and off days are a key part of that.”
And, yes, some runners successfully exercise seven days a week, but they tend to be more experienced athletes who have worked up to that training frequency and volume. And while they may not take a day off, they usually have at least one very easy training day.
“That’s okay to do for a little while. But, at some point, you have to take a recovery week. You have to give yourself some time,” Fitzgerald says. “You can pulse up to more frequent training as long as you come back down and focus on recovery when you need it.”
