Rest days are crucial for healing, muscle growth, and injury prevention, but when you’re craving the endorphin rush of a good workout, sitting still can feel pretty uninspiring. You don’t have to stay glued to the couch to reap the benefits of a day off, though. A little movement—specifically active recovery—can go a long way, both physically and mentally. Light movement can speed up recovery and bring movement into your day without adding too much additional stress to your body.
Active recovery, which should be scheduled in between your regular workouts or big races or competitions, can include walking, steady-state running or cycling, swimming, mobility exercises, stretching, and even low-intensity strength training. These moves increase blood flow to your muscles, which speeds up the muscle repair process and can minimize delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
When Should You Schedule an Active Recovery Day?
In general, after a challenging or high-intensity workout or a big race/competition, you should take 48 or even 72 hours of rest. The amount of rest time you take should be long enough that…
