The rest day after three or four days of regular exercise is just what the name implies – a day to rest and give the muscles an opportunity to recover and grow. But, instead of lounging around the whole day, if you could incorporate these cool tips for the rest day, then rest assured you’ll muscles will recover faster and grow bigger.
Take a 30-minute power nap. It offers more benefits with respect to recovery as compared to sitting in front of the TV or with your smartphone. The deep sleep relaxes your mind and body and eases fatigue out of your system.
The basic idea behind these tips is to ensure that muscle repair happens quickly. You can achieve this when you increase the circulation of oxygenated blood to the tired and recuperating muscles.
Active recovery on rest days is a great way to ensure blood circulation and lose some more calories. An active recovery is nothing more than a lighter workout as compared to what you practice on regular workout days. Light cardio is a great idea. A walk in the park offers a low-intensity workout for the legs and lungs.
Self-Myofascial Release (SMR)
consists of light massage to stimulate and loosen tissue. Use a foam roller or simply pay a visit to a massage parlor. There’s nobody who does not like the feeling of muscles being manipulated to release stress and tightness. Massage helps push back DOMS – Delayed-onset muscle soreness.
Practice deep breathing
It’s a simple exercise involving deep inhalation followed by complete exhalation. But its benefits are many. It stretches the diaphragm, fills the lungs with oxygenated air that enriches the blood and nourishes the organs, and gets us in the habit of breathing the correct way. Yoga is an alternative. The stretches that you perform remove tightness from muscles, massage internal organs, and require that you breathe correctly. The movements you practice doing yoga will reinforce synergistic muscle movement and also boost core stability. Yogic postures involve small muscles that may not be getting a sufficient workout in the gym. After yoga sessions, you may discover that your movements in the gym are more fluid, supple, and you feel less tightness in muscles.
Take A Nap
Take a 30-minute power nap. It offers more benefits with respect to recovery as compared to sitting in front of the TV or with your smartphone. The deep sleep relaxes your mind and body and eases fatigue out of your system.
