Your rest days are just as important as your days in the gym. If you work out 7 days straight without a break (and you're not working with Olympic trainers), then you stand the chance of undoing all the hard work you put in at the gym or wherever you work out. You might also become more prone to injury and muscle fatigue if you don’t work in rest days into your fitness routine.
The more frequently you workout and the more strenuous your exercises, the more rest your body needs to actually recover. Exercise is literally breaking down your muscles and building up stronger ones. And rest is essential to allow that process to happen. However, there are ways to make the most of your rest days other than sitting still all day. Keep reading for 4 active recovery ideas to add to your weekly routine.
1. Foam Roll
Foam rolling may seem like a quick cool-down activity, but an extended foam rolling session can do wonders for your achy muscles and muscle recovery. If you have 20 minutes and a foam roller, you can get some serious relief all over your body. It’s best to use the roller as slowly as possible and roll your body back and forth across the roller.
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Be sure to hit major muscles like your quadriceps (front of thighs), hamstrings (back of thighs), IT bands (in your outer thighs) and your glutes. You’ll be surprised at how much tension you may be holding in these areas.
For smaller muscles like the shoulders and parts of the back, you can get the same release with a lacrosse or tennis ball against a wall. Spend at least three minutes on each muscle group and practice deep cleansing breaths for the best results.
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2. Practice Yoga
Certain yoga modalities can be intense workouts, but when performing yoga on your rest day, you should go for a light flow, rather than a strenuous yoga session. For rest days and recovery, choose a Yin or Restorative yoga flow. You’ll want to avoid yoga classes like Bikram or Vinyasa, as these are more intense and won't allow your muscles to recover.
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The goal with your recovery yoga is to relax, focus on breathing, and increase flexibility. Gymgoers and athletes alike have found that incorporating a yoga practice into their weekly routines has helped them perform better and get better results from their workouts. If it works for them, why shouldn’t it do the same for you?
3. Go For a Walk
There is never, ever a bad time to go for a walk, and that includes your rest days. A great way to flush out lactic acid, and reduce muscle soreness is to go for a comfortable walk for 30 minutes or more.
If you're sore before your walk, it may be a bit painful, but you’ll notice less soreness and tension in your muscles in the days ahead.
Walking can also help to burn a few calories and help you boost your metabolism even on your days off.
4. Get More Sleep
On the days when you do take a break from your regular workout schedule, getting in an extra hour of sleep might be exactly what your body needs to properly recover, especially if you're training hard with weights or long-distance running.
Just like when you get sick and your body needs rest to heal, your body needs sleep to build up your muscles and recover from your regular workouts.
If you feel exhausted the day after a hard workout, head to bed early or hit the snooze button a few times (if your schedule permits) on the days you don't work out.
That extra rest may go a lot further than you know.
Sharita Jennings is a fitness and travel enthusiast and creator of Get Fit Like That, LLC. She is a health policy attorney and ACE certified group fitness instructor and fitness nutrition specialist. She provides online fitness plans and leads group fitness classes in Washington DC. Check out her fitness tips and workouts at GetFitLikeThat.com.
