Nutrition and exercise are often the primary focus of any wellness journey, but there is also another equally important component: Recovery.

While nutrition and movement are important elements to a healthy lifestyle, research shows  that  focusing on recovery and self-care can  help you gain the most benefit from your efforts. When you take a mindful, 360-degree approach to your health journey, you’ll feel energized and empowered, which gives you the confidence you need to make lasting lifestyle changes.

Why You Need Recovery

Our bodies undergo a great deal of physical stress when we exercise regularly – especially if high intensity workouts, like HIIT or Tabata, are your jam. Recovery allows our bodies to repair any wear and tear and grow stronger – which they can’t do if we’re constantly pushing them to their limits. Once you start incorporating recovery days into your workout routine, you’ll find that treating your body with kindness enhances not only your workouts, but your quality of life.

Choose active recovery workouts that keep you moving, make you happy, help you relieve stress, and give you a break from counting sets and reps every day. Give yourself permission to step back and enjoy your fitness journey… Your body and mind will thank you!

Not convinced? Here are five great reasons to schedule active rest days into your fitness routine.

• Reduce risk of injury: Performing the same movements or activities over and over again can put wear and tear on your joints and muscles, which can lead to injury. A day or two of rest from those activities gives the body a much-needed break and time to recover.
• Increase muscle growth: Your muscles grow when you’re resting, not when you’re working out. Performing a low intensity workout keeps the blood circulation going and boosts muscle repair.
• Gives you more energy: Too much exercising can be exhausting and lead to burnout. Incorporating rest days is key to making sure your workouts are joyful and energizing, rather than a chore.
• Improve your performance: Fresh muscles can work a lot harder than tired ones. Taking a break from intense activities gives you time to rest both physically and mentally so you can crush your next workout.
• Increase motivation: Too much exercising can sometimes make your workouts feel uninspired. Giving yourself a break can bring a sense of eagerness back to your sweat sesh.

Having a day when you don’t need to push hard is a great opportunity to try a new activity, listen to what your body needs, and spend time doing things that bring you joy. Even if you love putting in hard work at the gym, active recovery is still a great opportunity to move joyfully and remember why you love it so much.

Different Types of Recovery

One of our favorite ways to keep recovery fun is trying a new sport. Not just because trying new things is great for your mind and body – which it is! – but because it’s a fun and social way to stay active. You should never have to turn down softball night because you think your workout only “counts” if you’re following your routine at the gym. Playing in a rec sports league can be a fun, full-body workout that will also surprise you by working muscles you might not normally use. Plus, playing non-professionally keeps the pressure off and the fun on! If sports aren’t your jam but you still want to use your recovery days to be social, try hiking, biking, or walking with friends. Having fitness buddies is great for keeping you accountable, too!

Of course, there are lots of ways to recover, and trying a new sport is just one of them. One thing that will benefit you in whatever recovery you practice is mindfulness. Again, recovery is all about listening to your body – not counting reps or watching a timer. When you relax and enjoy the experience, and treat it like active meditation, you’ll get the most out of it. You’ll also relieve stress, boost your mood and improve your overall well-being… win-win, right?

Here are some active recovery ideas to get the most out of these rest days. Remember, a typical active recovery workout is between 30 to 60 minutes of lower-intensity activity performed at 60 to 70 percent of your maximum effort.

• Group activities – hiking, social rides, team sports for fun (kickball, softball, volleyball, etc.)
• Light resistance training (using rubber bands or body weight)
• Mobility session and/or core training
• Tai Chi, Yoga or Pilates
• Foam rolling

Remember to eat well, stay hydrated, and of course, to have fun. That last one might sound simple, but once you’re in an intensive training schedule, it can be hard to convince yourself to take a day off. Just remember that recovery days are essential, and that they’ll help your body work even harder next time you hit the gym.

Routines

Having a weekly routine brings your focus to the important things in life, while helping build efficiencies throughout each day. When building your weekly workout routine, be sure to schedule one to two days a week of active recovery. Maybe you choose your busiest workday, when you know you’ll be crushed for time, or the day after an intense workout. Make sure you are listening to your body and be willing to be flexible with your schedule for active recovery days. Here are some indicators that an active recovery day might be what you need… and here’s how to know if you need a rest day.

• If you wake up feeling sore or achy on your intense workout day, perhaps you might be better off swapping it with an active recovery day.
• When your schedule is full juggling work and family commitments, the stress can take a toll mentally and physically. An active recovery day might be just what you need.
• If you are feeling a little under the weather, an easy active recovery might be a better choice.

The key is to be honest with yourself. No one knows your body as well as you do!

Sample Routine

When it comes to movement, it’s important to lead with what you like as you are more likely to stick with your program. Here is an example of a weekly routine: