How to use recovery days effectively to get the most out of your workouts.
No matter how hard you train, the real work comes on those days when you don't sweat. When you exercise, your muscles are exposed to microtrauma. After that, the so-called satellite cells merge with the damaged areas to restore muscle fibers. But this process can only happen when you are at rest. If you continue to train, your muscles will never have a chance to recover, and your progress will stop and eventually decline. So you just need to rest. But if your usual day of rest is a date on the couch, cancel these plans as soon as possible and engage in a healthier recovery.
Don't take the word "rest" literally
There is a difference between passive and active recovery. A passive recovery day means that you don't do any physical activity, and the only time you really need it is when you are injured or sick. Most of your weekend should be devoted to active recovery, which includes low-intensity movements, such as light cycling or walking with the dog, flexibility and mobility exercises. These actions will improve blood circulation and help deliver essential nutrients to your muscles so that they recover faster. The goal is to slightly increase your heart rate and ease any tension, rather than sweating a lot.
Give your mind a rest too
People who experience a lot of stress needed more time to get back to normal after strength training. Researchers say that elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol may hinder recovery. Relieve stress and accelerate muscle recovery by performing this breathing exercise at least once a day: inhale for four counts, hold for two and exhale for six. This lowers your heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and restores glycogen, which your muscles use as fuel.
See your friends
Exercise causes stress and immune responses in your body, and a day off allows these systems to recover. Communication can make them get stronger even faster. It can also lead to the release of hormones such as oxytocin and testosterone, which have energetic, mood-enhancing and pain-reducing properties.
Use the same calorie allowance
Many people reduce their food intake on days when they are not exercising, but this can have unpleasant consequences because these nutrients are needed by the muscles to recover. Also important is that it can ruin your next workout. Your energy reserves will be depleted, so the next day you may feel excessively tired.
Dream, dream and dream again
It has been proven that healthy sleep is extremely important for recovery. When you sleep, your cortisol levels are low and your body produces growth hormone, which helps speed up the process of tissue and muscle repair.
