Lt. Gen. Mahmud Ahmad Akhtar Former Surgeon General Pakistan Army
Lifestyle Medicine-Promotion of Health
For good health, diet, sleep and exercise play an equal part. Rest is an important piece of any exercise routine and on some days all our body needs a long lounge on the couch. But active recovery which falls somewhere between a full rest and a workout can help the body bounce back more quickly says Talya Minsberg, a medical journalist writing in the New York Times.
Lt. Gen. Mahmud Ahmad Akhtar
Research has found that low impact movement, which is walking or swimming, can be more effective than rest, reducing muscle soreness after exercise. That is why competitive and elite athletes have long incorporated active recovery into their training schedule.
If you are exercising very regularly, doing something on recovery day is often better than doing nothing, said J. Jay Dawes, a professor of applied exercise science in Oklahoma State University. Especially if your goal is to reduce soreness between workouts, light movement like walking can increase blood flow & circulation and literally a stroll can be beneficial, he said. Here is how to use active recovery to your advantage, according to exercise scientists and coaches.
WHY IT IS HELPFUL
- When you exercise, your body cycles between periods of stress and repair. Your muscles may be sore or tight after a hard workout, but with proper recovery that short term soreness gives way to increased fitness.
- Recovery days, both full ones and full rest days, allow your body to repair your muscles and replenish its stores of energy, said Kate Baird, an exercise physiologist at the hospital for special surgery at New York. Active recovery provides some pain relief by reducing soreness and promote better mobility and range of movement.
- For anyone who follows a training schedule or exercise regularly, active recovery days can be mentally beneficial too. Continuing to move has a calming or meditative effect that a day of inactivity might not provide.
WHAT COUNTS
- The most important thing is that active recovery sessions should be really easy. Low impact movements such as walking or swimming can all be good options. For experienced runners, very light running can also qualify.
- Chantelle Robitaille, an exercise physiologist and the director of coaching and an uphill athlete said that key is to focus on getting your body back into balance and to choose activities that are not physically or mentally stressful. In other words, pick something you enjoy that is easily accessible for you. If getting to your local pool on recovery day is too much of a hassle, for example you are better of opting for a light bike ride or mobility exercises instead of dragging yourself to go swimming. Whatever you choose, do not go over-board. Recovery is recommended to be 45 minutes or less.
MAKING A SCHEDULE
- An active recovery day is recommended after the most intense high-quality workouts of your week. But it is also important to have a broader view. Consider your long-term exercise routine to make sure you are balancing heavier weeks with lighter ones. If you are coming off a few weeks of more intense exercise, you may need a low intensity workout with more activity days built in.
- “We cannot just look at a workout for the day and not consider it in the context of your week or your month or your year, Mrs. Baird said. All of these things are cumulative and that cumulative effects can either promote improvement or it can promote deterioration in your improvement. If you opt for active recovery instead of full rest, be careful not to push too hard. Turning out an active recovery day into workout will only prolong the time it takes for your body to bounce back. Try to make the session as easy as you can stand.
- Think of it as a more of a therapy session. Exercise is essential and an important part of health promotion. After exercise sessions, active muscle recovery keeps muscle healthier. In recovery phase, exercise can be adopted to the muscle health. Instead of inactivity in the recovery period, muscle activity can be adjusted to the muscle health. It will be promotion of health.
