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Active recovery is the opposite of passive recovery (or complete rest) and usually involves some kind of light exercise that is separate to your normal workout. It is important to note that active recovery will mean different things for different people; you have to consider your fitness level and how much exercise you are able to do, and don’t compare yourself to others. The usual activities involved in active recovery are quite simple, so it is easy to fit them into your weekends.
Walking
Walking is one of the easiest way to stimulate active recovery. You can do it wherever you go, even when you are on holiday. Walking actually burns a great deal of calories, and being outside in the sun and around nature will also increase your levels of wellbeing. If you want to take this to the next level, you can try hiking, which will require just a little more effort and energy.
Swimming
Swimming is a popular method of active recovery due to its low-stress nature. While you swim, you often feel weightless, so you don’t put as much pressure on your body while you exercise your muscular and cardiovascular systems. It is also a great year-round activity, thanks to indoor heated swimming pools. If this isn’t enough excitement for you or you regularly swim anyway, you may like to instead try spearfishing – a combination of swimming and fishing. A fishing specialist, such as MOTackle, should be more than happy to show you the right equipment and advise you on how to go about this activity in a way that won’t put your recovery at risk.
Yoga
Yoga enhances flexibility, mobility and general wellness, and is an activity you can do on your own at home. It is best to start off with an instructor at a class who will show you the regular positions and will also guide you through some of the harder postures. However, once you feel more confident, you can definitely go it alone. There are plenty of YouTube videos put up by yoga instructors that you can follow too.
Cycling
Cycling is another way to get the legs pumping on the weekend while seeing the natural sights. There are many cycling clubs around, so if you don’t like exercising alone, find one that suits your exercising needs and go from there!
These are some of the best weekend activities for active recovery, but take note that they are also great for weekdays as well because of their simplicity. Whatever you decide on, please make sure that you don’t push yourself too much – know your skill and fitness level, and adjust your exercising endeavours accordingly. Active recovery is supposed to make you feel better afterwards, so if you feel worse, try something different. If you don’t like your first choice, pick something else! There will be something out there for you; you just have to discover it.
What do you do for active recovery? Would you recommend any activity in particular? How do you think it has helped you? Leave your thoughts, experiences and advice in the comments below.