As much as we encourage our patients to move and exercise as regularly as possible, it is also important to engage in active recovery. Active recovery is a way to keep moving while also letting our body rest. Often times we will become extremely engaged in our physical activities, and while it might feel good to push our limits, it’s an easy way of increasing our chances of overworking our system, and thus, increasing our risks of suffering an injury. Incorporating active recovery into our schedule can be a great way of helping prevent this from happening!
You can practice active recovery in different ways, such as simply going for a brisk walk, practicing gentle yoga or tai chi, and even doing light cardiovascular or resistance training. These activities, while still forms of exercise, are typically much less intense than regular exercise. Of course, these are all relative to what you do on an individual basis, but finding alternatives to still move in ways that are not overly fatiguing to your body remains extremely important. The important factor to consider when performing active recovery is to ensure it remains low intensity.
In addition to active recovery, passive recovery is also important to your body. As the name implies, passive recovery involves minimal to no effort. These types of recovery days might feel as though you don’t accomplish anything, however after an intense training, sometimes it is just what your body needs.
Ultimately, you know your body best, and should plan training and recovery based on how you feel. If you are unsure how to program your workouts to include recovery days, consult one of our physiotherapists!
