Most people are unaware, and they shouldn’t be. Rest and recovery, and getting enough of it, is absolutely essential to performance. 

But still many of us, including myself, have been guilty of overtraining. Maybe you have even felt guilty because you have had a day off from the gym?

The bottom line is that rest days are critical to performance, they help the body repair and strengthen itself. Although rest and recovery are not visible they are a crucial part of the training process.

Rest days should be built into all training programmes as this is the time the body adapts to the stresses of training and the real training effect takes place. These days also help to restore nutrient and energy stores, which in turn allows any tissue repair to occur. Without this recovery time the body will continue to breakdown, especially if you follow an intensive exercise regime. CrossFit and Kettlebell Sport athletes take note.

Rest and recovery are the same thing aren’t they?
Well no, no there not!
You may not be aware but there is a difference between rest and recovery.

Rest is pretty easy to understand. It is basically time off with no training at all. This can prove to be difficult for a number of athletes. The body will be used to certain levels of activity. When you take that away the body can go into shock. It can interfere with sleep patterns and appetites. You may even find that after a few days rest you come back to training feeling flat and sluggish. Not an ideal scenario for any athlete. This is where ‘active rest’ or ‘recovery’ comes into it.

There are many facets that make up recovery. Such as hydration, nutrition, stretching, self myofascial release, sleep, it encompasses much more than simply muscle repair. It involves chemical and hormonal balance, allows the nervous system to repair, removes mental and physical fatigue. I like to think of recovery as ‘muscles working and nerves resting’. Recovery is time off from the regular activities or sport you compete in, whilst still moving to provide some stimulus to the body.

Ideally a training schedule or plan should have a balanced combination of rest and recovery, or you do run the risk of overtraining. I remember an old coach of mine was telling me about a 80/20 rule. 80% of time spent focused on your training, and 20% focused on enjoying life. Unless you are an elite athlete, which let’s be honest most of us are not and will never be, you shouldn’t get to caught up in perfection. Enjoy being healthy, and thrive in being fit.

Be honest with yourself next time you set foot in your gym….

Do you feel fatigued?
Do you have enough rest days programmed into your training?
Do you recover well?

It takes a strong character to admit they are overtraining and it takes a stronger character to change there ways. This is the situation I found myself in and it’s one that I am only now beginning to recover from. If you are constantly suffering from injuries, going into your training feeling flat and lacking that spark. The chances are you are on the cusp of overtraining. Be brave and make the sensible choice, you will come back stronger than ever.