What’s active recovery?

If you’re an avid exerciser but don’t incorporate active recovery sessions into your current routine, it might be the missing puzzle piece. So, what’s active recovery? Whether you’re training for an event or just find it mentally tough to take too many days of complete rest, taking an active recovery day could seriously boost your performance.

But what is it, exactly? We ask fitness manager for The Third Space, Soho, Anwar Gilbert to explain. ‘In a nutshell, active recovery is low-intensity exercise. Usually, it can be after a workout, during a workout or on a typical rest day,’ Anwar says. ‘Simply put, it is exercise that’s easier in comparison to your normal workout.’

So where do you draw the line between active recovery and a full-on workout? Overtraining can cause injuries, make you ill or hamper performance, so it’s important to know your body. ‘Be smart, you shouldn’t see active recovery as another way to work out,’ advises Anwar. ‘Walking, a light swim and yoga are all good ways to recovery actively, if you lighten the load.’

Staying active on rest days will not only help you to recover mentally from a workout, but physically, too. ‘The idea is to increase blood flow and help the body to clear toxins that have built up from exercise,’ says Anwar.

Need ideas? Try foam rolling, walking and hiking, swimming, yoga or a cycle. But remember to keep it light!

Do you need a rest day? Find out here.