Recovery days are built into all our training plans, but what are they and why do they matter?
What is a recovery day and why do we need them?
A recovery day is a day (or two) where you are NOT adding to your overall levels of fatigue.
During your training your body is being placed under load (stress) but to feel the improvements from your training load you need time where adaptation can happen. Adaptation happens when we back-off from the training load to allow our body to repair itself.
Your body is doing lots of things on a recovery day, such as:
- repairing muscle tissues
- restoring energy levels
- strengthening connective tissues.
There’s only so much that your body can take before it breaks. The adaptations that happen on recovery days are what enable us to increase our levels of fitness and stay injury-free.
What counts as a recovery day?
Recovery days don’t always mean doing nothing. Sometimes they look like:
- going for a gentle walk
- easy yoga or mobility work
- light cross-training (at a very low effort).
The main goal of a recovery day is that you are left feeling refreshed and ready for your next block of training.
Recovery days aren’t something to earn, they are part of the plan. They allow you to build resilience, develop and reflect on your progress. Without them you’re at risk of overtraining, increasing the likelihood of injury and undoing your hard work.
Be kind to yourself.
Frankie x
