Active rest – what exactly is it? You will see this term in in every aspect of my personal life and in our programming for our clients. When we program training sessions and nutritional plans for our clients, we always highlight the importance of rest. We program meals in our My Healthy Goals national plans that involve at least one active rest day. It is important!! We want everyone that comes to us for assistance to focus on overall health and wellness and live a healthy and active lifestyle. When you make a true lifestyle change, that active lifestyle is with you for your LIFETIME!
Active rest days typically involve hobbies or fun things that you do personally or with your family and friends. As fun as it sounds to do pushups on your “off” day, doesn’t it sound more fun to spice it up with some swimming or paddle boarding instead?!
We like to see active rest and living that healthy lifestyle and not just chasing fitness goals all the time. They typically involve hobbies or fun things that you do personally or with your family and friends. Yes, they can involve physical activity or even some form of light exercise.
As fun as it sounds to do pushups on your “off” day, doesn’t it sound more fun to spice it up with some swimming or paddle boarding instead?!
It can sound tempting to train EVERY single day, especially if you are trying to reach a goal, but it gets tricky. Your muscles need time to repair. Repaired muscles = stronger muscles. Now I’ll be honest…taking a rest day for my family does not involve the couch or binge watching shows on Netflix.
Here are a few activities my family
does on active rest days:
Paddle Boarding
Swimming
Family Bike Rides
Park Days at Shelby Farms
Stretching
Exploring the Woods (I have three curious and active boys!)
Low-Intensity, Basic Core Work
PLAY OUTSIDE….JUST PLAY!!!
Active rest days simply get you out and get you moving, even when you have been kicking your butt in your training sessions. They will also help keep you conscious of putting healthy and nutrient-dense foods in your body. Remember, you are active and what you put into your body on your rest days is just as important for your recovery.
Active rest days simply get you out and get you moving, even when you have been kicking your butt in your training sessions. They will also help keep you conscious of putting healthy and nutrient-dense foods in your body.
An active lifestyle is a choice. It’s choosing to be healthy and active every day versus a lifestyle of sedentary entertainment. My rule of thumb is this: if you are looking for fitness and physique change…you need true results-driven and thoughtfully-programmed workouts 5-6 days a week.
And for “maintenance,” about 3-5 days a week. Yes, it is certainly wonderful that you walk you dog for 20 minutes every day, but that is not going to change your fitness or physique. We love to see our clients reach a fitness level that helps them enjoy their active lifestyle even more. Being truly fit allows you to embark on any hiking, paddling, and keeping up with young ones as much as your heart desires. And THAT is what health and fitness is about! Those narrow, specific goals are there for fun and to challenge you further.
Just remember–active rest days should be a fun way to rejuvenate your body, mind, and spirit!
Being truly fit allows you to embark on any hiking, paddling, and keeping up with young ones as much as your heart desires. And THAT is what health and fitness is about! Just remember–active rest days should be a fun way to rejuvenate your body, mind, and spirit!
Nutrition is the lock and My Healthy Goals is the key!
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