How the Rest Readiness Score is calculated

The Rest Readiness Score is a simple 0–100 recovery snapshot. It’s not meant to be a medical diagnosis, and it’s not trying to replace wearable metrics. Instead, it blends the signals most people can answer in ten seconds: sleep, soreness, stress, and training load.

The score starts at 100 and then subtracts points based on recovery stressors. The goal is to capture the common pattern: when you sleep less, train hard and often, feel sore, and carry high stress, your body has less capacity to adapt. When those stressors are low, you’re likely to tolerate a higher volume of training or at least a more active rest day.

Sleep is the heaviest lever in this calculator because it influences both physical recovery (muscle repair, glycogen restoration) and mental recovery (mood, focus, motivation). We use a target of 7 hours as a baseline for most adults. For each hour below 7, the calculator subtracts about 8 points. So if you slept 5.5 hours, that’s 1.5 hours short and roughly 12 points down. If you slept more than 7, no bonus points are added — because the point is to catch “under-recovered” days, not to declare you superhuman for sleeping 9 hours.

Soreness is a practical signal of tissue stress and novelty. It isn’t perfect (you can be sore and recovered, or not sore and still fried), but it’s a decent directional cue. The calculator assumes soreness on a 1–10 scale and subtracts roughly 3 points per step above 1. That means soreness of 7 costs about 18 points compared to soreness of 1. If you’re consistently a “6–8” after every workout, you might be accumulating fatigue faster than you realize — which is exactly what a rest day is for.

Stress — work, family, life, deadlines — counts as training stress. High stress can reduce your recovery bandwidth even if you didn’t do anything athletic. The calculator subtracts about 2 points per step above 1 on the 1–10 scale. Stress is weighted less than soreness because it’s more subjective, but it still matters. If you’re at an “8” stress day, consider a lower-intensity rest day plan.

Training frequency and intensity both affect fatigue. The planner subtracts a small amount when you train more than 4 days/week, because high frequency tends to require more intentional recovery habits. Then it adjusts based on typical intensity: low intensity subtracts very little, high intensity subtracts more, and very high intensity subtracts the most. Think of it as a “your nervous system might be spicy” tax.

If you’re already very active today (for example, high step count), we slightly shift the recommendation away from more activity, especially when readiness is low. This isn’t saying walking is bad — it’s saying that on a truly depleted day, the best rest day is sometimes boring (and that’s a compliment).

Finally, the score is clamped between 0 and 100. Then we map score ranges to a plan: 0–49 suggests full rest, 50–74 suggests active recovery + mobility, and 75–100 suggests you’re fresh enough for a more energetic active recovery day (or a technique-focused session if you really want to move).

What to do with your plan

A rest day can mean a lot of things: lying on the couch, a long walk, mobility and stretching, an easy bike ride, a sauna session, or simply a normal day where you don’t add extra training stress. The best option depends on your current recovery state. That’s why the planner gives you a rest type and a few targets.

• Full Rest: minimal extra exercise. Think easy walking (if you want), light stretching, and a focus on sleep and food.
• Active Recovery: low-intensity movement to promote blood flow and reduce stiffness (easy cycling, brisk walk, light swim).
• Mobility-Only: 10–20 minutes of mobility / stretching / breathing work if you want to “do something” without adding fatigue.

The planner outputs five practical targets you can actually follow: steps, sleep, hydration, protein, and carbs. Why these? Because they’re the highest return on effort for most people.

• Steps: If readiness is low, steps are conservative. If readiness is high, steps can be moderate to support recovery.
• Sleep: The calculator nudges you toward 8–9 hours when you’re under-recovered.
• Hydration: A simple daily water target helps with performance and appetite regulation.
• Protein: Protein stays high on rest days because muscle repair doesn’t stop just because training does.
• Carbs: Carbs vary by goal and readiness. Endurance athletes often benefit from more carbs; fat loss plans may dial them back slightly.

One low score is normal. A streak of low scores is a signal. If your Rest Readiness Score is consistently under 60, consider adjusting one variable for the next 7 days: (1) reduce hard sets or intervals by 20–30%, (2) keep one day truly easy (zone 1–2 cardio or mobility only), (3) add 30–60 minutes of sleep opportunity per night, or (4) tighten nutrition basics (adequate calories, high protein, and enough carbs around training). Think of recovery like budgeting: you can’t spend more training stress than you can afford with sleep and food. Most plateaus aren’t “lack of effort” problems — they’re “recovery capacity” problems.

People love “scores” because they’re shareable. But the real win is that a score becomes a plan. When you screenshot your Rest Readiness Score, you’re also seeing the action steps that make tomorrow better. That’s why you’ll notice the output is written like a mini coaching note — short, clear, and ready for a story post.

Example rest day plans (realistic scenarios)

Inputs: 180 lb, 5.5 hours sleep, soreness 8/10, stress 6/10, training 5 days/week, high intensity, steps 9,000.
Result: Score lands in the full rest zone. The planner recommends conservative steps, extra sleep, and keeping carbs moderate.
Why: You’re carrying multiple recovery stressors. Even if motivation is high, your best performance decision is to recover so your next workout is higher quality.

Inputs: 160 lb, 7.5 hours sleep, soreness 5/10, stress 4/10, training 4 days/week, moderate intensity, steps 6,000.
Result: Score falls in the active recovery zone. You get an easy movement plan: a walk + mobility, normal calories, high protein.
Why: You’re not crushed — you’re “normal tired.” Light movement helps reduce stiffness without digging a deeper fatigue hole.

Inputs: 200 lb, 8.2 hours sleep, soreness 2/10, stress 3/10, training 3 days/week, moderate intensity, steps 4,000.
Result: Score is high. You’re fresh enough for a more active rest day: a longer walk, easy cardio, or technique work.
Why: Rest day doesn’t have to mean “do nothing.” It can mean “do easy things that help tomorrow.”

Notice the pattern: the planner doesn’t shame you for resting, and it doesn’t hype you into overdoing it. It simply matches the plan to your recovery signals.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Does a rest day mean zero movement?

  Not always. For many people, active recovery (easy walking, light cycling, mobility) helps circulation and reduces stiffness. If your readiness score is low or you feel run down, full rest is a smarter call.

• Should I eat less on a rest day?

  Sometimes, but not dramatically. If you’re maintaining or building muscle, most people do best with similar calories and high protein. If your goal is fat loss, a small reduction (like 5–10%) can be fine — but starving yourself often backfires by increasing cravings and reducing training quality.

• Why is protein high even on rest days?

  Because recovery happens on rest days. Protein supports muscle repair, tendon remodeling, and general satiety. A common target is roughly 0.7–1.0 g per lb (or 1.6–2.2 g per kg) depending on your training and goals.

• What if my wearable says something different?

  Wearables can be great, but they’re not perfect. Use this planner as a “reality check” using subjective signals. If both your wearable and your body feel off, rest is a strong choice. If your wearable says you’re great but you feel terrible, trust your body.

• Can I lift on a rest day if my score is high?

  If your score is high, you may be fresh enough for a technique session or light work. But if you already train frequently, consider keeping at least one true rest day. Consistency over months beats one extra intense day.

• What’s the fastest “recovery hack”?

  Sleep. Hydration. Protein. Then easy movement. The simple things are boring — and they work.