From an early age, we’re taught about the importance of regular exercise and daily movement, yet no one really talks about recovery and how it’s just as important as the exercise itself!
Without proper rest and recovery, we’re not giving our bodies the time to adapt to our training programs. That means we could be counteracting all the hard work we’re doing in the gym and at Pilates sessions and leaving some of the long-term benefits of exercise behind.
What actually is rest and recovery?
It involves various factors, all aimed at the same goal, giving our body the time and capacity to repair, replenish and rebuild. This is how we adapt to training and achieve both short- and long-term gains in fitness and performance.
Recovery involves factors which include:
- Muscle recovery
- Sleep
- Active rest
Let’s go through one by one!
Muscle recovery: strength starts with rest
When we are doing any sort of movement which involves working the muscles such as weight lifting, Pilates, or even everyday tasks such as gardening, we are actually creating microtears in the muscles being worked. These tears are a normal part of the muscle strengthening and growth process, as the rebuilding and repairing process of these microtears is actually what increases muscle mass and strength. So, without rest and giving our body time to relax, the muscles are unable to repair these microtears, leading to decreased outcomes and increased risk of stress-related injuries (i.e. tendonitis).
Sleep: your body’s built-in recovery system
Getting good quality sleep is also very important for rest and recovery. Sleep is where most of the muscle recovery occurs, along with other important benefits which include hormone regulation, improved immune system and mood regulation (all of which are also important for getting the most out of your exercise). There are many guidelines about how much sleep we should aim for, but new research shows that the amount of sleep you need is very individualised to the person, meaning there is no perfect number of hours or any specific guidelines.
Active rest: moving without overdoing It
Active rest is a method of rest which involves light intensity and low impact movement. This includes activities such as walking, swimming, cycling, yoga and stretching. Active rest has many benefits which include increasing blood flow to the muscles, reducing lactic acid build-up, decreased stiffness and maintaining daily exercise/movement; all of which help the body recover from strenuous exercise and maintain a healthy balance of exercise and recovery.
So, how much should you rest?
Current Australian exercise guidelines still recommend at least 30 minutes of light to moderate exercise on most, if not all, days of the week. These guidelines specifically recommend resistance training (muscle strengthening exercises) on a minimum of 2 days per week.
In order to get the most out of your exercise regime, there are various factors which need to be considered when trying to manage load vs rest. These include:
- Current exercise levels / tolerance to exercise
- Exercise or sports related goals
- Previous or current injuries or health conditions
- Social factors impacting time such as work and family commitments
Generally, strength training on non-consecutive days is always recommended with active rest days in between. However, exercise routines which require high load may require more specific management from an exercise professional to help improve outcomes and manage stress to the body.
Remember, don’t skip the recovery time
Ultimately, it’s not just about how much we exercise, it’s about how well we recover. Building in time for rest, sleep, and active recovery ensures we get the full benefits of our efforts, avoid burnout, and support long-term health and performance.
If you’d like to know more about rest and recovery, tune into our latest episode of the Confident Body Podcast HERE
References
- Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. (2021, May 10). Physical activity and exercise guidelines for adults (18 to 64 years). Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. https://www.health.gov.au/topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians/for-adults-18-to-64-years
- Bishop, P. A., Jones, E., & Woods, A. K. (2008). Recovery from training: A brief review. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 22(3), 1015–1024. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e31816eb518
- Doherty, R., Madigan, S. M., Nevill, A., Warrington, G., & Ellis, J. G. (2021). The sleep and recovery practices of athletes. Nutrients, 13(4), 1330. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041330
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