There’s this mentality that the more you do, the more gains you’ll get. I know that’s my default. But really, the harder you train, the harder you need to rest. Rest days are important. Every time you work out, you essentially break down your muscles. They rebuild at rest. If you never rest, you never allow your muscles to rebuild and therefore, they won’t get stronger. You’ll actually make yourself more susceptible to burnout and injury.
Rest day: What it is and what it isn’t
What it is
Exactly how it sounds: rest. You rest on rest days, physically and mentally. Sleep in. Take a nap. Kick your feet up. Get a massage. Stretch a little. Take an easy walk. Meditate. Take an Epsom salt bath, light some candles, and chill out.
What it isn’t
Riding at an “easier” pace. Strength training in the gym. Cross-training, like running, hiking, swimming, etc. Abandoning your nutrition plan. Using the extra time to get your to-do’s to-done and adding extra mental stress to your plate.
Rest versus Active Recovery
Active recovery is the act of moving blood through your muscles to assist in recovery and flush out metabolic waste products through increased oxygen delivery. This would…
