5 Things to do on Active Recovery Days
Exercising is a stress on our bodies and incorporating recovery days into weekly exercise routines is a great way to give the body the break it deserves. Muscle fibers get damaged and rebuild every time we exercise and it is important to give your body a recovery day at least one day a week to give them a chance to rebuild.
A recovery day is not a time to sit at home and lay on the couch. There are so many low-intensity exercises that you can do to keep yourself active without stressing your body. Doing low-intensity exercises instead of having a passive recovery day helps recover muscles, reduce muscle delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and keep the momentum of daily exercising strong.
Here are five things to do on an active recovery day to keep you moving without the stress:
Foam Rolling
Foam rolling is great to do on a recovery day or just any day! Foam rolling is used at Wattage before each session and our trainers teach techniques to ensure you get your muscles stretched and rolled out. You can also use a lacrosse or tennis ball to help with the small areas such as feet, arms, and specific points on your back. Rolling out is a way to self-massage those muscles and get them ready for your next session!
Yoga
Yoga is a great way to rest your mind, center your body, and concentrate on releasing stress. Yoga is an all-inclusive exercise that is very impactful when recovering. You can get a good stretch as well as have a relaxed mind. If you do a few poses or a full routine, you can get a fun recovery session while being at home.
Take a Jog
Use your rest days to work on some cardio and get outside. A light jog around the neighborhood will keep you active on your rest days as well as build your cardio. You don’t have to run a mile when you do this. A quick jog around the block a few times or going to a park will work to get you moving.
Swimming
Swimming is one of the best recovery exercises. You can get cardio and resistance without stressing your muscles. This can be a family-friendly workout as well. Utilize your floaties and pool noodles for different exercises that may need support. A great workout in the pool is to swim clockwise and try to swim back counterclockwise. It makes you work against the resistance of the current.
Bonus: If you have a hot tub use that as well for some heat to your muscles.
Cycling
Whether you cycle on a bike, stationary bike, or Peloton, use these days to work on light cardio. You can do a warm-up Peloton session or bike around the neighborhood. Cycling is a great way to give your arms a break and give your legs a low impact workout.
It is important that we have at least 30 minutes of activity every day! Using these five techniques on your recovery days ensures that your muscles get a break but your body gets daily activity. Remember, your no workout days do not have to be passive. Stretch and have a little fun while you take a break from the gym.