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Making time for rest & recovery after exercise

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You’ve been hard at it -

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working out and training at the gym; your quads, glutes, and pecs are all well attended to. You’re working up a sweat, and you’ve got that sheen of perspiration to show it. Now, it is essential you also make time for the all-important period of recovery and rest. When exercising, tiny tears in the muscles are created. For these muscles to heal, to become bigger and stronger, time has to be given for the body to repair and rebuild, to strengthen itself in between these periods of intensive exercise and strenuous workouts.

 

That’s where rest and recovery come in.

In active recovery (short-term),

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opt for light physical activities such as brisk walking, swimming, or cycling to elevate the heart rate above resting without the intensity of a heavy workout. Incorporate stretching and massages to already warm muscles to increase blood circulation.

 

This will help to
remove waste products from the soft tissues that have been broken down by intense exercise and will aid in a faster removal of muscle lactate to minimise post exercise discomfort (the soreness and aches).

In passive recovery (long-term), 

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choose sleep. Having a good night’s rest is crucial to a sustainable exercise routine alongside the essentials of adequate hydration and wholesome, healthy food
choices.

 

Have meals that are lower in fat and oil, that consist of a good mixture of protein, fibre, and carbohydrates. A lack of quality rest and poor nutrition can lead to feelings of lethargy and fatigue, which can bring about low energy and poor focus, increasing the risk of serious injury.

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Some common signs and symptoms of overtraining

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include a general sense of tiredness and an unexplained decrease in performance that may last between a week and a month. Listen to your body and pay attention to what it is telling you. Indicators such as musculoskeletal aches and pains, agitation and moodiness, a poor appetite and even feelings of stress and depression might all be a cry for rest and recovery. Though it may be tempting to train, train, train, remember that muscles aren’t built just from lifting weights, but also from giving yourself and your body the time to repair and build.

 

So, make room for rest and recovery after exercise, and you’ll have even more fun sweating it out with Pocari Sweat by your side.

Resources:

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  1. Active Health. (2024, May 9). Rest and Recovery for Better Performance. ActiveSG Circle. https://www.activesgcircle.gov.sg/read/rest-and-recovery-for-better-performance

  2. Active Health. (2019, November 12). Active recovery for productive rest days. ActiveSG Circle. https://www.activesgcircle.gov.sg/read/active-recovery-for-productive-rest-days

  3. Ansorge, Rick. (2022, February 7). Rest and recovery are critical for an athlete’s physiological and psychological well-being. UCHealth. https://www.uchealth.org/today/rest-and-recovery-for-athletes-physiological-psychological-well-being/

  4. Bireline, Amanda. (2015, May 5). The Importance of Recovery After Exercise. NIFS. https://www.nifs.org/blog/the-importance-of-recovery-after-exercise

  5. Mike, Jonathan N., M.S., Kravitz, Len, Ph.D. Recovery in Training: The Essential Ingredient. UNM. https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/recoveryUNM.html

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