Summer is flying by. If you haven’t taken the opportunity to slow down and relax a bit, here’s your chance
Many people tackle health goals by going all in — pushing your body and committing to an intense workout plan. But rest is an essential piece to the fitness puzzle: It gives your muscles time to recover and rebuild, reduces injury risk and prevents burnout
But before you plop down on the couch and settle in for a Netflix binge, know that recovery doesn’t mean no movement at all
Instead, we will be focused on active rest: Moving your body in ways that feel good, release tension, improve flexibility and encourage relaxation
“Giving yourself extra TLC this month and focusing on how you can support your body and treat your body to what feels good is very empowering,” says TODAY Fitness Contributor Stephanie Mansour. “You can have daily sessions that you look forward to because they feel good in the moment (not just after the fact, like many people say about strength training or intense workouts.) Physically, your body may feel more relaxed, limber, flexible, mobile, and even less aches and pains.”
It’s a great mental break, too, Mansour says, giving yourself the opportunity to assess what has been working and what hasn’t — and figure out your game plan so you can hit the ground running in the fall
This month will introduce you to a handful of modalities that will help release tension physically and mentally. Think: Yoga, mobility, foam rolling, stretching and low-impact walks
“I hope that this month allows people the chance to tune in to their bodies to find out what they truly need,” says Mansour. “So many times we blindly follow a fitness or wellness plan without really knowing if it is working for us or making us feel good. But when we really embrace our bodies and give ourselves the TLC we deserve, that’s when we can lighten up and really dig deep to decide: What types of workouts make me feel good? What is my body really craving? What would make me feel good, mentally, in terms of moving my body? Being able to take a step back from an intense workout program and re-evaluate where you’re at and what you need is very empowering, especially prior to fall when we all focus on getting back in the swing of things!”
“Recovery days are so important because you cannot put pressure on your muscles, bones, ligaments and joints 24/7, 7 days a week! “ says Mansour. “Your body physically needs time to repair and process the work that you’ve done.”
“Remember that recovery days don’t mean just sitting on the couch. You can do yoga, go for a walk, foam roll, even get a massage,” she says. “Active rest means moving your body in a low-impact and low-stress way that still helps improve circulation.”
The benefits of consistently incorporating active rest days into your workout routine are:
- Support muscle growth: “When you exercise, you cause tiny little tears in the muscle fibers, so recovery allows time for these muscle fibers to fuse back together which creates larger and stronger muscles,” says Mansour.
- Improve circulation: “You’ll be stimulating blood flow to stiff and tight areas, as well as increasing overall circulation,” says Mansour. “Recovery activities also help reduce inflammation and swelling.”
- Combat stress: “Recovery activities help loosen up muscles, relax the nervous system, and decrease stress physically in the body and mentally,” says Mansour.
- Reduce risk of injury: “Injury is a huge risk if you skip rest days or don’t engage in recovery activities because repetitive use without rest or stretching can cause strains, tears, or even rips. Feeling more sore than you have to be and “pushing through the pain” can be pointless, if only you’d stretched or recovered in between your intense workouts, you may not be feeling that way! You can also have less energy for your workouts if you don’t allow your body proper time to recover.”
- Help reduce burnout and increase consistency: “Mentally, rest days give you a chance to focus on other things,” says Mansour. “Rest days help you stay committed to your fitness routine because you avoid burning out easily by constantly feeling like you’ve got to exercise 7 days a week.”
While we’re slowing things down in the fitness department, we’re also taking the stress out of meal time. Start TODAY dietitian Natalie Rizzo shares her time-saving tips and healthy that take the stress out of healthy eating — so you can spend your time enjoying the last month of summer, not slaving over the stove
- Give yourself a break from cooking. “Just like your body benefits from recovery, your mind can benefit from a break too. If you’ve been spending lots of time in the kitchen this summer, give yourself permission to simplify your meals,” says Rizzo. “Choose meals with just a handful of wholesome ingredients that come together in minutes. A four-ingredient chia seed pudding made with chia seeds, your favorite milk, a drizzle of maple syrup, and fresh berries is a perfect example.”
- Plan for leftovers. “Recovery days are the perfect time to embrace meals that practically cook themselves,” says Rizzo. “Sheet-pan dinners require minimal prep, create very little cleanup, and often make enough for leftovers, which means you’re setting yourself up for an easy lunch the next day. Simply combine a protein like tofu, chicken, or salmon with a colorful mix of vegetables, drizzle everything with olive oil, season generously, and roast until tender. Cooking once and eating twice saves time and energy while ensuring you have nourishing meals ready to go when life gets busy.”
- Recovery nutrition doesn’t take a day off. “Even when you’re not exercising, your body is hard at work. Rest days are when your muscles repair and your body adapts to the training you’ve been doing. That means your nutrition still matters,” says Rizzo. “Instead of dramatically cutting back on food because you’re taking a day off, focus on building balanced meals that include protein, fiber-rich carbohydrates, healthy fats, and plenty of colorful produce. Protein helps repair muscle tissue, carbohydrates restore energy stores, and fruits and vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support recovery.”
