Of course, there are plenty of people who like to feel they are doing something constructive on those days, to counter feelings of laziness or missed opportunities. There might also be a nice hour or half-hour gap in your schedule to fill, occupied by exercise on other days (especially if regular exercise has helped you adopt a better daily routine). So to help you feel like you aren’t wasting this time, here are 5 suggestions for ways to fill it.

5. Nap

You might not see this as constructive, but your body does. This is, after all, a rest day. Sleep, by the way, is incredibly important for good health and recovery.

If you usually exercise in the mornings, get up later on rest days and enjoy a more leisurely breakfast. Make yourself something unusual for breakfast (oooh … waffles!) or just unwind for a few minutes. Maybe make and keep an appointment with yourself.

If your gap is in the evenings then the same applies. Take a bit more time cooking dinner. Go to bed early. Watch a movie.

Whatever you do, make sure it’s relaxing and rewarding. You’ve earned it.

4. Cook

I assume you have a job - many people do. And at that job, the chances are you need to eat food. Lunch, of some description. A huge number of people eat junk food for lunch, or buy rubbish overpriced sandwiches from nearby shops. If you have an hour, you can make yourself enough food to last you several days worth of lunches - decent, homemade food.

I’m not going to go into detail with recipes, but personally I try to make dishes that are easy to reheat and tasty. Bolognaise, Chilli con Carne, Tuna Pasta, Chicken and Rice, Fruit Salads, Pasta or Tomato Salads (check out WebMD’s 10 Tips and Tricks for Healthy Summer Salads), Potato Salads … the list is huge. It’s cheaper than buying when at work, it tastes better than anything I can buy near work, and I know exactly what I’m eating. What could be better?

3. Review

Most people’s needs change over time. In my case, I am starting to undo the effects of years of desk work and bacon. I have a plan than currently involves playing squash, improving what I eat, and jogging. That plan is unlikely to be ideal for me forever. If you have a short space of time to occupy, maybe spend it looking at what you eat, and when, and how you exercise, and when.

It might be that when you decided to start going to the gym you wanted to increase your strength - but maybe you’ve reached your goals there and need new ones. Maybe it’s your stamina you want to improve next. Maybe you have a specific event you are training for now, and your existing routine isn’t making the best use of your time. Maybe you’re not eating enough or eating too late in the day. Maybe you don’t have goals at all (I’d recommend setting yourself some, even if they seem trivial - helps to keep you motivated).

2. DIY

There are few things as satisfying as doing things yourself. And a bit of time in the evening (or maybe the morning) can be enough to get some shelves up, or fix a leaky tap, or give your car a quick checkup - all those small jobs you’ve been putting off.

Few of these things are stressful, and almost all home projects along these lines will give you a sense of accomplishment - helping you to feel you’ve not wasted time.

1. Read or Write

If you have an hour a couple of times a week, it might be that that is all the time you have to yourself, especially if you work long hours or commute, and even more so if you have a family.

You already have a nice slot of time to yourself on days you exercise though, so make sure you keep that slot of time for you on the days you don’t. Read a book (something most people claim to not have time to do), or write something (letters, diary, even a book - though I’m recommend staying away from a computer).

Mental strength is as important as, if not more important than, physical strength. Occupy and improve your mind on the days you give your body a break.

And finally …

There’s no reason you necessarily need do only one of these on all your rest days. Mix them up! Personally, I’m trying to get in the habit of reviewing things once a month and the rest of the time I cook or get up late and have a nice breakfast. Mostly I get up later. As a commuter I get to read on the train - otherwise I would certainly spend the time doing that.

Images courtesy of MorgueFile.