An active rest day is a day where you give your body a break from intense training while still moving in some capacity. Active rest helps facilitate recovery and prevents burnout. It’s an essential part of any training program. Here are some ideas for how to spend an active rest day.
Why have an active rest day?
Active rest days are important for a few key reasons:
- Allows your body to recover from hard training sessions. Without adequate rest, you risk overtraining, injury, and burnout.
- Keeps you moving. Total rest days can cause stiffness. Light activity keeps your body primed for upcoming hard workouts.
- Provides mental break. Taking a day off from intensive training gives your mind a rest too.
The key is finding the right balance. You need enough activity to reap the benefits but not so much that you aren’t getting a true recovery day. Aim for around 30-60 minutes of light activity on your active rest day.
Activities to try
Here are some great options for active rest days:
Go for a walk
Walking is an excellent form of active recovery. It gets your body moving without overly taxing it. Aim for a brisk 30-60 minute walk to get your blood pumping without high impact.
Do a light workout
Try a short, easy workout around 30 minutes. Options include a light jog, easy bike ride, relaxed yoga flow, or abbreviated bodyweight circuit. The intensity should be minimal, like a 2-3 on a scale of 1-10.
Play a sport
Sports that involve light cardio along with movement in different planes are great active rest options. Sports such as volleyball, tennis, basketball, soccer, and ultimate frisbee work well. Focus on just having fun versus high competition.
Go for an easy swim
If you have access to a pool, swimming makes an excellent active recovery workout. The water provides resistance for a light aerobic workout without any impact on your joints.
Try a mobility workout
Use your rest day to improve mobility and work on problem areas. Try foam rolling tight muscles, doing restorative yoga poses, and performing targeted stretches for 15-30 minutes.
Take the dog for a walk
If you have a dog, get some fresh air and exercise by taking them on a brisk 30-60 walk. You’ll both benefit from the light activity and bonding time.
Go for a hike
Get outdoors and enjoy nature while keeping your muscles active. Go for a short, easy hike at an intensity you can maintain a conversation.
Do active chores
Yardwork and house cleaning can count as active rest. Things like mowing the lawn, gardening, washing cars, and scrubbing floors keep you moving without intense training.
Play with kids
If you have kids, chase them around the park or play games together like tag. They’ll tire themselves out while keeping you lightly active.
Sample active rest day schedule
Here is an example of what an active rest day could look like:
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | 30-minute morning mobility routine |
| 10:00 AM | 60-minute walk with friend |
| 12:00 PM | Light 30-minute circuit workout |
| 3:00 PM | 30-minute yoga flow |
| 5:00 PM | Evening dog walk |
Benefits of an active rest day
Building active rest into your training schedule provides many benefits such as:
- Improves recovery: Restores energy stores like glycogen and allows muscle repair and growth.
- Prevents overtraining: Lowers risk of burnout, fatigue, and injury.
- Enhances performance: Research shows proper rest improves strength and endurance gains.
- Provides mental break: Gives your mind a reprieve which enhances focus and motivation.
- Reduces stress: Helps manage cortisol and recharge mental batteries.
Listening to your body
It’s important to customize your active rest based on how you feel. There may be times when you need more rest than others. Listen to the signals from your body:
- Extreme fatigue: Opt for extra rest or lightly active recovery.
- Muscle soreness: Foam roll and stretch vs. cardio activity.
- Stressed: Try relaxing yoga flow.
- Stiffness or pain: Focus on mobility and physical therapy exercises.
- Feeling good: More high-end active recovery like sports or hiking.
Nutrition on active rest days
Fuel your body properly on active rest days:
- Hydrate well – drink extra fluids
- Consume plenty of protein to help repair muscles
- Eat carbs to replenish glycogen stores
- Increase anti-inflammatory foods like fruits, vegetables, omega-3s
- Avoid excessive junk food which can impair recovery
Conclusion
Active rest days are a vital component of fitness training and overall health. Make sure to incorporate 1-2 low intensity active recovery sessions per week. Listen to your body, engage in activities you enjoy, fuel properly, and reap the benefits of enhanced performance, recovery, and motivation.