Recovery—it’s an important part of any fitness routine. Without giving your body a chance to recover, whether it’s from an injury or just an intense workout, you’re denying your body the opportunity to get stronger and healthier.
The only problem is that being inactive can be tough if you’re used to being, well, active. When you take too much time off, even if you know it’s for the sake of recovery, you can start to feel restless.
Don’t worry though. Recovery doesn’t have to imply being sedentary. Quite the opposite! Doing light exercise, especially activity that works body parts other than the ones you have injured or strenuously worked, aids your body by improving blood flow, removing waste, and promoting overall healing.
The Role of Recovery
After an intense workout, you probably feel pretty sore. That’s because working muscles actually causes little micro-tears in your muscle fibers that your body needs to repair. When fully repaired, however, the muscles grow bigger and stronger than before. Without giving your body a chance to recover, those muscles don’t ever get the chance to grow. You could put yourself at greater risk for injury, and you could hinder your performance from improving.
While your doctor or personal trainer can give you the best guidance on what’s right for your personal situation and goals, many people participate in activities while they’re in recovery mode. Low-intensity exercise promotes blood circulation, which can help deliver greatly needed oxygen and nutrients all over your body. Movement also prevents your muscles and joints from getting stiff and tight. And because exercise stimulates your lymphatic system, which removes waste from your body and reduces inflammation, you might be looking at a faster, more productive recovery period.
All of that is just the physical benefit. There’s also the mental side of active recovery. By staying active, you continue to enjoy such benefits of exercise as stress relief and improved sleep.
The Best Recovery Activities
Both the intensity of your activity, as well as what type of activity you’re doing, should be something that’s specifically geared toward your goal—are you just trying to give a certain set of muscles a break, or are you actually trying to heal from an injury? Your doctor or trainer will be the best person to give you advice for your specific situation, but some of the workouts you might consider include: ⎝
Variety will ensure that you don’t lose interest or overwork any set of muscles, so don’t be afraid to mix it up a little bit by doing yoga one day and then taking a walk the next.
Finally, don’t forget that sometimes a day of complete rest can be the most appropriate option. Listen to a trusted expert, pay attention to your body, and take good care of yourself.
Walking: Go at a leisurely pace—enough to raise your heart rate, but not so much that you’re out of breath. Go for a distance that lets you feel energized instead of depleted.
Light cycling: A gentle spin around the neighborhood or along a scenic route will put minimal stress on your body.
Free swimming: Not necessarily laps—simply treading water or pulling yourself through the water at a relaxed pace can give you a full-body workout that is easy on your joints.
Yoga: Opt for a gentler variety of yoga that will let you relax while improving your flexibility and mobility without straining yourself.
Stretching and foam rolling: Relieve muscle tension and improve your range of motion with either of these activities, which will likely leaving your feeling refreshed.
Light calisthenics: If you want a worry-free strength training exercise, try pushups or squats to work your muscles without forcing them to the brink.
