What is active recovery?
Active recovery is low intensity exercise that is recommended to be done after a bout of high-intensity workouts to aid our body towards recovery and performance enhancement.
Benefits of active recovery
Active recovery aids in preventing prolonged muscle fatigue that occurs from playing sports or engaging in exercise workouts.
Active recovery has been found to:
- Reduce lactic acid buildup in muscles
- Eliminate metabolic waste from muscles
- Maintain muscle flexibility
- Reduce muscle soreness and tears
- Increase blood flow to muscle tissues
- Helps the body keep up with workout regimes
Active recovery is most beneficial when done at your own pace.
How to engage in active recovery
There are three main types of active recovery.
1. Cool down
The key is to keep moving after a strenuous workout. This will aid in smoother muscle recovery.
Tip: Light cardio exercise (e.g walking after a strenuous run or cycling at low intensity) can lower our heart rate towards recovery. A general rule of thumb is to work out at no more than 50% of our maximum effort and then gradually reduce effort.
2. Between workout sets
Incorporating lower-intensity exercises in between sets of interval training can help you recover faster. The American Council on Exercise found that athletes who included exercise activities which used less than 50% of their maximum efforts between workout sets recovered faster than those who didn’t. This is due to a constant flow of blood being delivered to the muscles.
3. Rest days
It is especially important to engage in active recovery on our rest days following a strenuous activity, especially if you have sore or aching muscles. Typical active recovery workouts include walking, swimming, low-intensity cycling and active stretching. Exercise should be gentle and heart rate kept between 30 to 60% of our maximum heart rate. To gauge how intense the workout is, check if you can converse easily during the workout. If you can talk while exercising, you’re on the right track!
As you strive towards your fitness goals, remember to work at a pace that is appropriate for proper post-workout recovery activities. It is only with proper rehabilitation through active recovery exercises and required pain relief plasters that we keep our muscles in good shape for the next session.
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