Recovery Days...Do You Include Them in Your Training?

Recovery days.  We need them after a heavy workout or competition/game/race but do you incorporate these days into your training regimen?  If not, you should.  During exercise the body actually breaks down muscle tissue in order to rebuild and repair.  If you don't provide your body with adequate rest and recovery, you could be sending yourself into an overtraining scenario.  Now before you get upset with me, recovery days are not always complete rest.  Active recovery days are just as important as your training days.  Once your muscles have been broken down during the workout, they will immediately begin rebuilding and repairing.  You may notice that after a heavy workout or competition, your muscles are sore and you might even feel a little "puffy".  The soreness is a build-up of proteins released during the "breaking down" process.  That usually lasts about 24-48 hours after your workout.  Muscles might be "puffy" or swollen as the body sends extra fluids and white blood cells to the area to help "clean up".  This is a natural body process and is actually helpful, even though it's merely uncomfortable for you.

So how do you know when you should have recovery days?  First and foremost if you have a particularly heavy workout or big competition, active recovery the following day is extremely important.  If your training regimen includes "general" exercise and isn't too strenuous on a daily basis, then you should include at least one or two active recovery days in a week.  But what is "active recovery"?  On the days you dedicate to active recovery, you can perform light cardio activity with an emphasis on stretching.  An excellent way to achieve this is to hop in a pool.  The cooler temperatures of the pool combined with the buoyancy of the water will provide your body with the proper conditions to reduce muscle tension and swelling.  You can perform light activities such as walking or easy lap swimming followed by static stretching at the pool wall.  The key component in an active recovery is to keep the intensity low enough so your body doesn't further deplete your energy stores.  During your active recovery, be sure to rest and rehydrate frequently.

Passive recovery is more along the lines of total rest and stretching.  Here again, pools can be beneficial.  If you have the ability to be in a warmer water pool, focus more on static stretching in the warmer climate.  Be wary of jumping in the hot tub though.  The higher water temperature of the hot tub can increase blood flow to sore muscles which may increase swelling and discomfort.  If you only have access to a hot tub, then keep time spent in the water minimal (i.e., 1-2 minutes).  You can even do a contrast bath where you are in warmer/hot water for a minute or two then immediately get in a cooler shower/bath for 10-60 seconds.  This can be repeated three times.  Again, be sure to properly rehydrate during this time.

Remember, muscle soreness is natural and should be expected after a workout.  If, however, it does not dissipate or gets worse after a couple of days, then you may need to seek the advice of a certified trainer or, worse case scenario, seek medical attention.  Whether you choose active or passive recovery is dependent on the type of activity you perform and the intensity levels.  Regardless you should incorporate one type of recovery in your weekly routine.  Your body will recover faster and performance will improve by giving your body the rest it needs (and deserves!).  You don't have to "go-go-go" all the time.  Give yourself a little down time to recover and reflect.