“Active” Recovery, a Good Opportunity for Mindfulness

After a hard workout, you might be dreading the soreness which will inevitably ensue over the next 24-48 hours. Your instinct could be to take the next day off from exercising altogether. Not so fast!

Active recovery allows you to keep the momentum in terms of your fitness AND can potentially decrease the lactic acid build-up that’s partially to blame for muscle soreness.

Instead of taking the day off, try following your high intensity training day with a low intensity workout. For example, if you did sprints on Saturday, you might just want to do an easy jog on Sunday.

In addition to the physical benefits, active recovery workouts are always a good opportunity for mindfulness practice. Jogging or cycling at an easy pace can often be a formula for distraction.  Rather than watching TV to pass the time on a cardio machine, why not venture outside and have a moment alone with nature?

When you are out on a trail run, you can focus on your breathing and your body awareness instead of just trying to get your workout over with. Be there for each step and feel your toes hitting the ground as you transition into your next stride.  It may be challenging at first to be alone with your thoughts, but over time you might find it’s much more rewarding.

The principle behind active recovery can also be applied within the context of a single workout. When used this way, active recovery refers to following an intense exercise with a less intense one.

Rather than simply resting in between sets of pull-ups, an active recovery workout might have you alternating pull-ups with a lower intensity exercise that allows your arms to rest while keeping your heart rate up, like jogging in place.

While I am a proponent of daily exercise, that doesn’t mean that every workout has to be an intensely off-the-charts effort. Varying your intensity is the key to maintaining a daily workout regimen without over-training.

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About Author

Al Kavadlo, CSCS has been a personal trainer to hundreds of clients from various fitness backgrounds, including an overweight 72 year old grandmother and a two time Olympic medalist. He’s also a fitness writer who holds a BA in English from Binghamton University.

Go to www.AlKavadlo.com for more info.

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