80. "The Benefits of Active Recovery: Low-Intensity Workouts for Faster Recovery"

In the fitness world, it’s crucial to know how many workouts are enough to achieve our goals. However, there are times when we feel more tired and sore than usual. This is where active recovery comes into play, helping us recover faster. I’m going to explain three primary ways to implement active recovery, and you're welcome to join me as a client on my website. https://www.mikecoach.com.mx/ 

What is Active Recovery?

Active recovery is a method designed to accelerate your body’s recovery after an intense workout. Whether you’re a runner, powerlifter, or just an everyday person, fatigue can build up in your muscles, nervous system, heart, joints, and ligaments. Active recovery helps speed up this process by promoting the circulation of various metabolites that have accumulated in specific areas.

Step 1: Identify the Need for Active Recovery

Before implementing active recovery, it’s essential to determine if you need it or if you’re experiencing normal fatigue. Signs of needing active recovery include “D.O.M.S.” (delayed onset muscle soreness), low energy, and an increase in appetite. If you haven’t noticed these signs, start tracking your progress and fatigue levels in a schedule, journal, or Excel spreadsheet.

Step 2: Implement Active Recovery

Once you’ve identified the need, it’s time to implement active recovery. This could involve a light cardiovascular workout, a basic strength workout, or even a mobility class. The key characteristic here is intensity—keep it below 70% of your maximum effort. Many athletes and gym enthusiasts combine this type of workout into one day per week, but I recommend implementing it just once weekly.

The goal is to use active recovery to reduce fatigue and maximize recovery after an intense session. This approach can be adjusted based on your time and schedule.

Step 3: Use Active Recovery Without Even Noticing

My favorite approach is incorporating active recovery in a way that doesn’t feel like a “workout.” This could involve going for a walk in the park, cleaning your house or apartment, or engaging in other light physical activities. The benefit here is increasing your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) and boosting your daily activities.

Remember, this activity should be even less intense than usual, making it a powerful tool for those days when you don’t have the time, energy, or motivation to train.

Conclusion

As you can see, active recovery has many benefits for our workouts. It’s often underestimated, but many of my clients who’ve started incorporating it into their routines have reported feeling more recovered and overall wellness. If you’d like to share your comments, I’d be thrilled to read them below!