Exercise; it’s great for us but also puts a severe amount of stress and strain on the body. Prolonged periods of exercise can cause chronic overuse injuries such as muscle strains and tears, tendonitis, bursitis, and stress fractures. Over time these injuries can lead to a decrease in performance or, even worse, time missed from the gym. One way to help reduce damage to the body and decrease recovery time is using Active Recovery (AR). AR is different from rest in that, while resting there is no work at all (i.e. sleep), and AR involves working the afflicted muscles, but only at a rate of about 50-70% of max effort. AR should be done on “off days” or days where motivation to exercise is lacking.
Reduces the impact of DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)
Helps the body heal and repair by:
Increases Blood Flow to Muscles
Increases Nutrients to Muscles
Triggers Hormones that Stimulate Muscle Repair
High-Intensity exercise increases stress hormone level, AR reduces those levels
AR stimulates endorphin release and helps one feel better about exercise
Dynamic: stretching with movement/bodyweight movements that mimic load-bearing exercises. Done at a rep range of 6-12 per movement
Static: holding the stretch for a period of 20-30 seconds
Body weight and/or light stretching exercises such as Chest Flyes using a suspension system
Check out my Instgram page @jnicholsfitness or Google/Youtube for examples
Foam Rolling/Myofascial Release
Massage/Acupuncture/Cupping/Needling
As you can see, Active Recovery serves as an extremely beneficial tool in any fitness regimen. Incorporating AR once a week will not only help you heal faster, decrease DOMS, and increase your mood, but it will also help you come out stronger and more prepared to tackle your next big workout. Try it out and see how you feel.
