Trends from the USA often cross the pond over to Europe. The same goes for the trend of Recovery Workouts, which is already celebrated in the US. Every sports enthusiast who loves training hard also knows the importance of recovery days. Working out seven days a week might sound like an intense workout plan at first, but it makes no sense. Recovery between workouts is crucial—and this is where recovery workouts come into play. What exactly this is and what such a recovery workout can look like, we explain to you in this article.
Fitness rule No. 1
Do you know unwritten fitness rule No. 1? It states: a day of (hard) training should be followed by at least one day of rest. It's just that many fitness fans don't take this to heart. Extremely demanding workouts six or seven days a week won't get you anywhere because your muscles don't get time to recover. They remain under constant strain, which doesn't make muscles stronger or help them grow, but only exhausts them. The actual work happens during the recovery phase after exercise—this is when muscle growth actually takes place. It's just that many people ignore this and don't grant their body this crucial recovery window. But you really should take it to heart.
Make smart use of recovery phases with recovery workouts
We've already established that rest periods or rest days after a strenuous workout are truly important. Especially for your body, and particularly for your muscles. But a recovery day is also great mentally. Going full throttle all the time isn't sensible for body or mind. Recovery workouts are therefore a wonderful way to move carefully and thoughtfully on a rest day without interrupting muscle recovery. This is also called active recovery. Your body should only be challenged very gently. On such a rest day, hard and demanding workouts are strictly forbidden. Gentle movement should be used purposefully to support your body during essential recovery.
Which exercises do you do during a recovery workout?
A recovery workout combines a movement session with a recovery period. So instead of just lying on your couch and letting your muscles do their post-workout job, you do a short training session. But keep it gentle and only mildly challenging. After all, we want our muscles to continue recovering, not to strain them. There is a great variety of sports and movement types you can do during a recovery workout:
- Yoga
The ultimate classic. You train gently, often in combination with proper breathing. You work on your flexibility, core tension, and at the same time do a lot for your mental stability. There are plenty of free, high-quality guides on popular video platforms. All you need is a yoga mat and comfortable clothing. If you aren't familiar with yoga at all, look for beginner sessions. If you've already tried yoga or do it regularly, feel free to incorporate it into your active recovery.
-
Swimming
If you have a swimming pool nearby, doing a few laps is an excellent recovery workout. Your body is supported by the surrounding water, yet you still have to stay active to keep floating. Backstroke stretches the spine, while a few easy laps of front crawl or breaststroke train your endurance. You can also swim for time or decide beforehand how many laps you want to complete.
- Classic movement exercises for home
If you don't have a pool nearby or yoga isn't really your thing, there are several gentle exercises that aren't as demanding as your normal workout sessions. These include rolling out on a foam roller or basic exercises like a few jumping jacks to warm up, followed by squats and various stretches.
- Walking
Simple yet beneficial: a walk around the block or through a park or forest is ideal for staying active on a rest day. Dress weather-proof, lace up your outdoor shoes, and head out into the fresh air for an hour or two. This gently moves your body and delivers an extra boost of oxygen, which is great if you have sore muscles from a previous hard workout.
Benefits of Recovery Training
There are many positive aspects that a recovery workout brings to a regeneration day:
- previously heavily used muscle groups recover faster
- blood circulation is stimulated
- the accumulation of lactic acid in the targeted muscle groups can be reduced
- your mind relaxes as well, which can boost your mood
- flexibility in muscles, tendons, and joints is enhanced through stretching stimuli
- motivation-boosting: Even a calm, gentle workout reinforces the feeling that you did something for yourself and your body that day
When should you do recovery training?
If you only give yourself and your body a single rest day after a hard workout, you shouldn't do too much on that rest day in between. Ideally, there should be two regeneration days between truly demanding workouts. But it's best to listen to your body and your muscle soreness. Your muscles should already be recovered before starting another hard strength workout or something similar. The most important thing during your recovery workout is to make sure you never reach your physical limits. It should be light, relaxed, and beneficial, not demanding. Since every body reacts and regenerates differently, pay attention to the signals. Severe muscle soreness should be gone before you get back to strength exercises, functional fitness sessions, or intense endurance exercises. Schedule enough regular regeneration days with short recovery workouts in between. In the long run, this will do more for you and your athletic success than powering through at maximum intensity every single day. Just give it a try.
