"We talkin' about Rest & Recovery?"

Seems a bit contrary to write about Rest & Recovery (R&R) days as we just came back from the Holidays, BUT we may be picking up a new exercise program this time of the year! So it’s important to understand why rest days are essential when you want to GO, GO, GO! R&R days are an equally essential component of an exercise program because it gives the body time to repair, rebuild, and strengthen itself between workouts.

Exercise is only 1 (+/-) hour of our day, what we do the other 23 hours in the day matters more! Looking at strength training specifically, R&R days are when the muscle is in its “repair phase”. R&R days help to minimize injury. For example with my running, I will run for 3 weeks x 6 days per week with 1 rest day per week, and then on the 4th week, I’ll take a recovery week where the volume is 40-50% less than the other 3 weeks. This week allows me body to recover and come back even stronger the following week.

How often should I be taking R&R day(s)?

  • For general health & fitness: 2-3 days per week. This based on if you are training 4-5 days per week consistently.

  • For sports performance or advanced folks and assuming you are training 5-6 days per week, then 1-3 days per week.

  • These R&R days can be variable week to week depending on stress & sleep levels (affected by sickness, work, school, etc) or training volume for that week. But it’s important to have a plan in place and not just going on the fly!

What should I do on my R&R day?

  • Sleep

    • This is the number recovery tool! This is where all your hard work is developed.

    • Make sure you are hitting 7-9 hours per night (I know this may not be realistic for everyone! But it’s important to find what works best for you and be consistent)

  • Refuel & Rehydrate

    • Focus on your nutrition, specifically your carb and protein intake.

    • Your muscles (and overall progress) are built in the kitchen!

  • Stretch & Mobility:

    • Gentle yoga / static stretching / light mobility work to help with range of motion

    • Foam Roll any tight or sore muscles

  • Light Activity

    • Go for a walk/hike or light jog or bike ride or swim

    • Play a sport at a lighter intensity

    • The point is gentle activity to be the body moving

What do your R&R days look like?

Meena Sharif