One common mistake that general gym-goers as well as competitive athletes make is not taking a break from training. While you may think that in order to increase strength, lose fat and improve performance you need to train all the time, this simply isn't the case. Intense training can be extremely demanding on your muscles, joints, central nervous system and mental state. And, according to trainer and former elite weightlifter Fred Hatfield, it may lead to overreaching and overtraining syndrome. To avoid this, take regular active rest days or weeks.
What is Active Rest?
Active rest involves taking time from your usual training to perform lighter activities that don't exhaust you but that still burn calories and keep up your fitness levels. Corrective exercise specialist Mike Robertson says it's important to differentiate between active rest and recovery. During recovery weeks, you will still be doing your usual training activities, just at a decreased intensity and volume. When in an active rest period, you shouldn't even think about your usual training. An active rest workout may be something as simple as a game of pickup basketball or a light bike ride.
Programming
The frequency at which you perform active rest workouts depends on how advanced you are with your training and what program you're on. More advanced trainers, especially those training for sports or performance, may find that more frequent active rest breaks are needed, as training intensity is higher. If you are new to training, though, your workouts will likely be less taxing, and shorter, so you can probably go for longer (eight to 12 weeks) without taking a rest. You also need to see how you feel --- if your progress is slowing, or even regressing, and you're feeling rundown and lethargic, then it's probably time for some active rest.
What to Do
Playing sports with friends is a great way to enjoy your active rest workouts. This is a chance to get your heart rate up, burn a few calories and have fun without stressing your body too much. If you want something a little more challenging, strength coach Mike Mahler recommends performing a light body-weight exercise circuit or a little kettlebell training using lighter weights and working on your technique.
Guidelines and Tips
The main factor to consider in your active rest workouts is intensity. It is imperative that your workouts are not too hard because this will affect recovery rather than aid it. You may find that one active rest workout every few weeks is enough; likewise you may prefer to train for a little longer at a time --- say, eight to 10 weeks --- then have a whole week of active rest workouts. It is also a good idea to perform extra mobility work, foam rolling and stretching in your active rest periods because these are important aspects that are often overlooked when training intensity is high.
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