It’s true that you shouldn’t really work out strenuously every day of the week. Your body needs time to rest after you’ve spent a grueling time in your nearby Powerhouse Gym, so that it can repair itself properly and come out even stronger. Also, working out without rest leads to too much stress, to the point that you don’t get optimal benefits from your hard workouts.
But some people have this misconception about workout rest days. They seem to think that this allows the to just lounge in bed or on the couch all day, bingeing on their favorite TV shows. Though that’s not really a bad idea every once in a while, that is not what the experts have in mind when they recommend a rest day for you.
In fact, it’s become more common among trainers and athletes to just refer to these rest days as “active recovery” days. With active recovery, you’ll still engage in some sort of light exercise that’s not as intense as your regular workouts. At the very least, the lower intensity gives your muscles some rest, while you also get a mental break from all that intense training.
But continuing to work out lightly on rest days offer benefits as well. The light exercises get your circulation going, and this allows your muscles to receive the nutrients they need for repair. The exercises can also help flush out the waste products that you built up when you worked out. These waste products (such as lactic acid and hydrogen ions) may contribute to muscle damage and fatigue.
Exercises To Do
Now that we’ve established the need for some light exercise during your rest day, what exercises should you actually perform? Take maybe half an hour for any of these exercises:
Yoga
This is a proven method of recovery that can help with your flexibility, breathing, body control, and blood flow. All these benefits will help with your recovery.
Tai Chi
Have you seen some old people practicing tai chi at your neighborhood park, now that there aren’t any lockdowns? While this practice is particularly great for senior citizens as it’s not too strenuous, it’s also terrific for rest days.
It involves low -impact movements, and it still helps build up your balance and strength, along with your total-body awareness. The smooth flowing movements calm your body down and help it relax from the stress brought on by your workouts (and by your regular life, for that matter). It reduces pain and stiffness (especially for those with arthritis), and improves aerobic fitness.
Swimming
This is another excellent low-impact option. You’ll feel weightless when you go swimming, your joints are relaxed, and your body stretches in ways it cannot stretch on land. The water pressure also boosts the circulation in the heart, blood vessels, and muscles.
Slow Jogging (or Steady-State Walking)
This means jogging at a moderate intensity. On a scale of 0 to 10 (from just sitting on your couch watching TV to an all-out sprint), you should go with an intensity of about 4 or 6. But that’s if you’re doing this daily.
For active recovery days, go with an even lower intensity of about 2 or 3. Stick to steady-state walking for only half an hour.
Steady-State Cycling
This is like its walking counterpart, but you’re even kinder to your knees. It also improves circulation for your lower body, even when you dial down on the intensity. As it’s your rest day, don’t do sprints in the middle of your half-hour exercise routine.
Hiking
This is doable these days, now that there aren’t any lockdowns. It’s great because it offers mental and spiritual relaxation as you bask in the fresh air and the great outdoors—urban streets don’t count.
And at the same time, you’re also working your muscles. You’re actually challenging your glutes, core, and ankle strength a bit more, because you’re dealing with uneven terrain. Just make sure you have the right shoes.
So, get off from the couch and do some light exercise on your rest day!