{"id":63362,"date":"2017-11-15T07:15:09","date_gmt":"2017-11-15T12:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=63362"},"modified":"2017-11-17T17:26:14","modified_gmt":"2017-11-17T22:26:14","slug":"rest-day-benefits-active-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/rest-day-benefits-active-recovery\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Science Says You Should Take More Rest Days"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Why
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You already know you need to push your limits to keep reaching your fitness goals<\/a>, whether you\u2019re looking to shed a few pounds, nail a faster race time<\/a> or sculpt your physique. But that time you take to rest between butt-kicking workouts? It\u2019s just as important. In fact, without recovering properly, you could stall your progress \u2014 or worse, reverse it.<\/p>\n

Trouble is, it\u2019s easy to get carried away with hardcore exercise<\/a>. \u201cWe have this mentality in America: If a little bit is good, then more is better,\u201d says Pete McCall<\/a>, CSCS, ACE-certified personal trainer and host of the All About Fitness podcast<\/a>. One of the biggest mistakes people make in the pursuit of improved athleticism<\/a> is going too hard on days they should be taking it easy, he adds. After all, exercise is only one piece of the fitness equation.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>5 Signs It\u2019s Time to Take a Rest Day<\/a><\/p>\n

Why You Need a Break\u2026to Bust Through Plateaus<\/h2>\n

“One of the biggest mistakes people make…is going too hard on days they should be taking it easy.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As McCall reminds us, exercise puts physical stress on the body. And in order to see results from that stress, you need to give your muscles time to adapt and recover. \u201cFitness [improvements] happen\u00a0after the workout<\/a>, not during the workout,\u201d McCall says. The best way to help your body recuperate and stay on track to reach your goals is to incorporate active recovery days into your weekly schedule<\/a>. That means easy sessions done at no more than 60 to 70 percent of your maximum effort.<\/p>\n

The reason: After a hard workout, the body initiates an inflammatory response<\/a> to help you recover. But if you do too much high-intensity exercise, that inflammatory response can work against you. \u201cHigh-intensity exercise<\/a> increases inflammation in the body and actually weakens the immune system,\u201d McCall<\/a> says, which makes you much more susceptible to germs, especially during flu season<\/a>. That could easily translate to more sick days and less gym-time. So don\u2019t be afraid to take it easy in order to stay healthy.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The Do-It-Anywhere HIIT Workout You Need to Try<\/a><\/p>\n

On the flipside, \u201ctake it easy\u201d doesn\u2019t mean \u201cdo nothing.\u201d The point of an active rest day is… to be active. So instead of grinding out heavy lifting<\/a> reps or sprinting until you\u2019re out of breath, flow through yoga poses<\/a> or take a light jog.<\/p>\n

The benefit of staying active \u2014 versus lounging on the couch for hours \u2014 is that you\u2019ll keep blood flowing so you can get rid of the metabolic waste that accumulates in your tissues after a hard workout. \u201cIt\u2019s like flushing out a car engine,\u201d McCall explains. Moderate-intensity activity will also boost your circulation, introducing new oxygen and nutrients into your muscles, he adds. As a result, you\u2019ll be ready to hit it hard again the next day \u2014 most likely without nagging soreness<\/a>.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>7 Surprising Ingredients for a Muscle-Soothing Recovery Bath\u00a0 <\/a><\/p>\n

What Your an Active Rest Day Should Look Like<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a specific active recovery Rx, we have the low-down from McCall.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a heavy lifter…<\/strong> Include gentle yoga (like Hatha), core exercises<\/a> (think: planks, reverse crunches, hanging leg raises), and bodyweight exercises<\/a> like lunges, squats, pushups and pull-ups in your rest day. \u201cYou\u2019re still using the same muscles as you were before,\u201d McCall explains, \u201cyou\u2019re just not placing the same mechanical forces on them.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a snow sport enthusiast…<\/strong> You\u2019ll benefit from taking a brisk walk, or a bodyweight strength class like TRX<\/a>. Even sitting in a sauna or hot tub for 20 minutes will aid recovery, as the heat helps improve circulation, McCall says.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re training for a marathon…<\/strong> Follow a long run at race pace<\/a> with an easy, four-mile jog the next day. Keep the intensity low to moderate, and don\u2019t let your jog turn into another training run. After all, the goal here is recovery, McCall says.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>9 Things I Wish I knew Before I Started Running<\/a><\/p>\n

How to Know If You\u2019re Resting Enough<\/h3>\n

One way to gauge intensity on an active rest day is to use the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale, or how hard you feel like your body is working. Simply rate your exertion on a 0-to-10 scale. Zero means you\u2019re doing nothing at all, while 10 refers to an all-out effort<\/a> (think: sprinting or lifting a weight for a one-repetition maximum<\/a>). On active recovery days, aim for a 5 or 6 on the 0-to-10 scale. At this level, you should be breathing harder than normal, but not out of breath, McCall says.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re a weight lifter<\/a>, runner, cyclist, swimmer or fitness class junkie, you want to try to alternate intense workouts with low to moderate ones lasting 20 to 40 minutes. And try to take one complete rest day per week, McCall says. (Note: If you\u2019re only exercising two or three times per week, you don\u2019t need to factor in active recovery days as it\u2019s key for people who exercise most days of the week.)<\/p>\n

Only have time to squeeze in a sweat session<\/a> a couple times a week? Aim to be as active as possible on your days off to hit that active recovery goal. That could mean taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking to your coworker\u2019s office instead of sending an email and standing up<\/a> during phone calls.<\/p>\n

Read More
\n<\/strong>No Pain, No Gain? 5 Myths About Muscle Soreness<\/a>
\nAre You Too Sore to Work Out? (Plus Recovery Tips)<\/a>
\nIs the Secret to Recovery Something Called Rolfing?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Permission to take it easy. In order to see workout results, you need to let your body recovery. Here\u2019s how to plan the perfect active rest day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":104,"featured_media":63372,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,24,6,14],"tags":[289,82,145,341,343,319,100],"class_list":["post-63362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cardio","category-exercise","category-fitness","category-strength-training","tag-exercise","tag-recovery","tag-stretching","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2exercise","tag-walking","tag-workout"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/104"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63362"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63362\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}