Active Rest: Why You Need It in Your Fitness Routine

After intense training, your body needs time to recover. Active rest helps you maintain the positive effects of exercising while you relax and recharge before returning to your regular routine.

What does active rest mean?

Active rest may sound a bit contradictory, but it is actually very beneficial for the body and the mind. It describes the middle ground between resting and being fully active. Rest days are valuable because they offer your body the opportunity to recover.  Often, people don’t appreciate rest days as they think of them as a hindrance to their gains. But this is not the case.

Active resting is about being active in a different, more relaxed way. It means resting from your usual training but still enjoying a rewarding activity. An activity, however, much easier and calming. During rest days, it is essential to leave your body and mind in a state of relaxation.

Allow your body to take a break

During a day of active rest, move your body with less intensity than you usually do in the gym. This keeps you active and in a good mood. There are a number of activities that you can do during active rest. The key is not to exceed the limits of rest and end up exhausted. It is an incredible sensation when you relax while enjoying a form of exercise, so take advantage of it and have fun.

Whether you want to lose weight or improve your fitness and muscular system, rest days are just as important as training days.

According to specialists, when we are not resting, our body secretes a hormone, cortisol. Elevated levels of cortisol are associated with many negative symptoms, such as, a feeling of exhaustion, poor sleep, fluid retention, and a malfunctioning immune system. In other words, resting is important.

What is the golden ratio between the days of rest and the days of training?

 That depends on your fitness, the structure of your training program, and its intensity. In general if you just started training you may need 2-3 days of rest per week, while a practitioner with a good fitness level may be okay with six days of training a week and one day of active rest – a day without training but with some form of light physical activity, such as a bike ride. 

Ideas for a day of active rest 

Walking 

Talking a beautiful walk is the best idea for a rest day. You get to enjoy the scenery and breathe in the fresh air. You could even try hiking to test your fitness, but why not simply take the time to clear your head as you take good care of your body? A nice long walk will give you time to think and connect with yourself on a deeper level.

In the gym 

If you don’t have time to play a sport outside, like football, basketball, volleyball, tennis or if the weather conditions don’t permit it, you can hit the gym even on a day of active rest. Be careful, though, not to put tension. Put your favorite music on your headphones, relax, and use the rowing machine or the bike. You want to train at a low-moderate pace and enjoy yourself.

Swimming

Water relaxes the muscles, and it’s an excellent form of active resting. The movements in the water are soothing, and blood flow is accelerated without exerting yourself. Swim at your own pace and enjoy the flow.

Stretching

On an active rest day, you could also try stretching. It helps the muscles to stay flexible, and it also enables you to keep your blood flow going, which is imperative to recovery.

A yoga class

You can look for a yoga class that will help you to focus your efforts and improve your flexibility and mobility. Yoga and, especially, Ashtanga reproduces familiar positions and stretches muscle groups that are often used in CrossFit. Yoga complements perfectly any strength training, as it lengthens the muscles and helps their recovery.

Pilates is also a good way to have an active rest day when you want to stretch and not tighten your muscles.

Your body will be grateful for any diversion from its daily schedule. 

After an active rest day, your body will be in better shape than before and ready to face an intense workout the next day.

Active resting on the Caribbean beachfront.

At the eXtreme Fitness Camps in Cabarete in the Dominican Republic, you will have the opportunity to improve your fitness and enjoy some valuable active rest. The exotic environment and the available amenities will make it easy for you to experience both intensity and relaxation and enrich your fitness holidays. At their gym, you can have a very active training – with the help of trained instructors – and afterwards, you can enjoy a relaxing yoga class and a walk on the beach.

References

Campus Well, Workout reboot: Use active rest to revamp your routine, https://www.campuswell.com/workout-reboot-using-active-rest/

Up Nutrition, What is Active Rest?, https://1upnutrition.com/blogs/expert-advice/what-is-active-rest

Nerd Fitness, Active Recovery Ultimate Guide: What Should I Do on Rest Days?, https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/what-should-i-do-on-my-off-days/#rest_day_workout_4

ANYTIME FITNESS, Why active rest is essential and how to get it, https://www.anytimefitness.com.au/blog/health-wellbeing/active-rest-essential-get/