If you are someone who loves to train at least five days a week and the prospect of a rest day makes you anxious, there are some activities that can be incorporated in your rest day, giving you the thrill and satisfaction of a workout, without over exerting your muscles. You can make the rest days as training days for building strength and aerobic fitness. Having said that, there is nothing wrong with a complete couch potato rest day too. It is a personal preference to want to take a day or two completely off or to want to train on a continuous basis. Here are a few activities that you can do during your rest day.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi is a low impact martial art form that focuses on slow and flowy movements making it a great option for building strength and balance. It is great to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and helps your body to recover from the stress of an intense workout. Research indicates that Tai Chi has the ability to not only calm the body down but also has pain relieving properties.
Yoga
Needless to say, Yoga has the power to build up the body and mind. The slow and controlled movements in yoga are typically targeted at promoting flexibility, breathing techniques and body control. It also helps to build broken tissues and ensure general mental well-being.
Light resistance training
As a gym freak, you may feel anxious about staying away from your local fitness club even for a day. Fret not, you can still go and do some light resistance training that consists of more reps. If you find yourself gravitating to the dumbells, go ahead and pick up a lighter one and focus on reps rather than weight. Ideally, you would want to combine five to six exercises as one set and perform a full body circuit training.
Hip and core activation
There is no doubt that hips and core are the most crucial parts of your body. They essentially power every move that you make. Make sure to focus on these two critical muscles on a rest day. Include light workouts for abdomen, lower back muscles, glutes and hips for an overall strength building regimen.
Crawling
Research has proven that crawling is actually a full body strength, focus, endurance and improved posture workout. A quick five minute crawl can do wonders for your body.
Self-myofascial release
Whether you prefer a massager, foam roller or lacrosse ball, make sure to give yourself a massage treatment once a week. Endless theories and research prove that a massage helps in your overall well being and muscle recovery. It also reduced inflammation and soreness.
Traditional ways
When it comes to rest days, good old techniques such as walking, cycling or jogging still work wonders. They are great for your cardiovascular endurance and they do not strain your muscles.
If you are not sure how to plan your workouts and rest days, speak to a health expert at Forest City Fitness for an all-round physical and mental development program. Our team of personal trainers online from London, Ontario, can suggest the best forms of workout, diet and rest routines based on your lifestyle and personal preferences.
