Ive always had self-planned run days, strength training days, and full rest days.
However, this year, I decided to work with a trainer to prevent injury in my middle age.
We agreed upon two days a week ofstrength training to complement my running.
When I checked my training app, I was surprised to find three workouts.
One of them was labeled active recovery.
Lets just say, Im now a believer.
So how do you know how much to do on your active recovery days?
Are active recovery days better than rest days?
And how often should you do them?
When we move, we are promoting blood flow, saysNicole Winter, CPT, senior coach atLadder.
Anyone whos spent hours on the couch knows it stiffens your joints.
But the benefits of active recovery show that its worth doing.
certified personal trainer, five-time marathon runner, andLadder strength training senior coach
Improved recovery time
Exercise fatigues your muscles and your body adjusts to the demand by rebuilding muscle tissue.
Active recovery canimprove1this recovery period.
Reduced pain and inflammation
Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS)is no joke.
Its uncomfortable to sneeze, laugh, or sit.
Leg day got you dreading a simple bathroom break?
The buildup of lactate, or acidosis, can cause tenderness in your muscles.
The quicker your body removes the lactate, the better youll feel.
Whencompared3to passive rest, active recovery significantly speeds up the process.
Someresearch4suggests active recovery may provide the anti-inflammatory benefits of a cold plunge, without freezing your tail off.
Stretching canimprove5the range of motion around your joints.
This allows you to become more flexible.
Adding in mobility work helps your muscles become more pliable so youre able to improve your mechanicsand avoid injury.
What is active recovery?
Most exercise causes some sort of physical stress to our bodies.
Recovery and repair are just as important as your tough workouts.
According to Winter, you shouldnt be pushing yourself.
Active recovery should look like a super relaxed, low-impact workout.
Your heart rate should remain at a lower steady state without spiking.
During your regular workouts, youre challenging yourselfmoving out of your comfort zone.
Active recovery is the opposite.
To estimateyour maximum heart rate, take 220 minus your age.
Then multiply by 0.3 and 0.6 to get your target range.
(If youre 35, your MHR is around 185 beats per minute.
So the best active recovery workout will keep your heart rate under 111 bpm.)
It shouldnt take much movement to get to that target.
If youre looking to gain strength and overall fitness, how often do you need an active recovery day?
Winter incorporates one day of active recovery every week for her clients.
That means I program aguided stretch that lasts about 10 minutes.
Its a great way to build in structured active recovery if that is what you prefer.
One day a week, low effort, and only 10 minutes?
What sort of exercise is best for active recovery?
Dont want to pick your own?
The exercises below, from both Steerforth and Winter, combine into the best active recovery workout.
How to do the best active recovery workout
1.
Walking
It doesnt get simpler than this.
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Standing quad stretch
Is your bottom half sore fromleg day?
This stretch targets your quads.
I like this movement because it also helps with balance and releases tension in the quadriceps, explains Steerforth.
Downward dog to upward dog
Simple, yet effective!
Forward fold
Steerforth recommends this stretch because it is good for your low and mid back, and hamstrings.
This is a good movement because a lot of exercises can put stress on your back and hamstrings.
For an added twist, try lifting one arm to the sky when your back is at 90 degrees.
Targeted stretching
Find your tight spots and target them with some slow stretches.
This stretch from Winter is great for targeting sore quads and hamstrings.
Low lunge hip opener
Stiff from sitting?
This move opens up your hips and stretches your hip flexors and your hamstrings, says Steerforth.
Youll also get a nice mid-back stretch.
Bartolomei S, Totti V, Griggio F, et al.
Upper-Body Resistance Exercise Reduces Time to Recover After a High-Volume Bench Press Protocol in Resistance-Trained Men.J Strength Cond Res.
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2020;46:77-88. doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2020.08.011
Mota MR, Dantas RAE, Oliveira-Silva I, et al.
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