Fitness Tips: How Is Rest Different From Recovery? Know From A Celebrity Trainer

Rest and recovery are important to make progress with your exercise routine

Rest and recovery are an important part of your fitness regime. But the two terms are not synonymous to each other. While resting is important to give your muscles a break, recovery helps in preventing sore muscles, cramping and other symptoms that you might feel after an intense workout. Elaborating further on the difference between rest and recovery is celebrity fitness trainer Kayla Itsines on Instagram. In her post, she talks about how both rest and recovery are important inclusions in a fitness routine.

Fitness tips for men and women: Difference between rest and recovery

"A rest day is a day when you take time out from your training and give your muscles a break, you might go for a walk or do some light exercises on that day but you're not really working out. I recommend giving yourself one rest day a week. Resting is different from recovery," writes Itsines in her post.

Recovery includes a certain number of exercises, stretching and foam rolling that can help you get relief from sore muscles after a strenuous workout. Spending some time in a recovery session after your workout can help in increasing your blood circulation. "These sessions are so beneficial for your body and allow you to recover from your workouts from that week," says Itsines.

A recovery session includes a number of stretching exercises
Photo Credit: iStock

Also read: 9 Fitness Tips That Can Help You Stay In Shape Even Without Exercising

How often should you do a rest/recovery session?

Frequency of resting period is different from the number of recovery sessions you take in a week. Itsines recommends at least one recovery session every week. Depending on how sore you feel after a workout, you can increase the number of recovery sessions you take in a week. "So no, you don't have to do a recovery session every single day. But if you're feeling sore, you feel like you're not sleeping well, or you feel uncomfortable when you're sitting, a recovery session can definitely help you."

Resting sessions too must be done regularly. There is nothing worse than overtraining your body. Training yourself at the gym every day, without any breaks or rest days in between, can make room for injuries. What's more is that not taking sufficient rest can reduce effectiveness of exercise and your exercise performance.

Also read: Do You Warm-Up Before Workout? Fitness Trainer Vinod Channa Explains Why It Is A Must For Everyone

How to do rest and recovery?

Make sure you do a recovery session as frequently as your body needs, and give your body at least one rest day in a week.

On a rest day, you can opt for not working out at all. Being physically active, however, is important at all times. You can go for a refreshing walk (slow paced if you want) on a rest day. No lifting weights or cardio on a rest day.

You can go for a slow-paced walk on a rest day
Photo Credit: iStock

A recovery session, as mentioned above, includes a number of stretching exercises. Talk to your trainer about a recovery session with/without a foam roller. Depending on how sore you feel, you can do a recovery session every day or once in two/three days etc.

Also read: 5 Ways To Stick To Your Fitness Goals

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.