In previous blogs we’ve discussed what active recovery is and why it’s important to include in your recovery routine. Today, we’re going to dive into how you can incorporate active recovery into your schedule. By incorporating active recovery into your regular routine, you can expedite your body's healing processes and improve overall performance.
Low Impact Activities
Engaging in low-impact activities like walking, cycling, or swimming, are a great addition to your recovery. These kinds of activities promote gentle movement without putting much stress on the body. Engaging in low impact activities can help improve blood circulation and maintain joint mobility.
Stretching
Incorporating stretching into your routine has many benefits. It doesn’t need to be an intense, deep stretch like you might see a dancer or gymnast do – a short, 10-20 minute full body light stretch can assist with your mobility and any muscle tightness. If you’re not sure where to start, YouTube has plenty of follow-along stretch videos.
Yoga or Pilates
Yoga and pilates combine stretching, strengthening and relaxation techniques to aid in muscle repair and mental relaxation. These classes often focus on using your small stabilising muscles and might be harder than you think, so take it easy if you’re using these classes for active recovery.
Light Resistance Training
Resistance band or bodyweight exercises are a great way to keep your body moving at a low intensity on rest days. Focus on maintaining muscle tone and function without putting too much strain on your body.
Be Mindful when Scheduling
Rest days are very important to schedule in, but its important to note that depending on your sport and level, not every rest day should be an active rest day. A mix of complete rest and active rest days is usually best – play around with your recovery schedule to see what feels best for you.
There are plenty of ways you can incorporate active recovery into your regular routine that will aid your performance and recovery. Including activities like stretching, walking, cycling, yoga, or resistance training will assist in muscle soreness, mobility and blood circulation. Overall, it’s extremely beneficial to add active recovery into your schedule – just be mindful of also including complete rest days to ensure you don’t overdo it.
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