Move It Monday – Active Rest

Now you’ve done it!

You jumped headlong in to a new training program and are really sore. If you are like most of my clients, at this point you are likely to do one of two things, neither of which sets you up for long-term success:

1)     A hot bath, curl up on the couch, and decide that training isn’t for you (or that you will start again once you feel better).

2)     Keep pushing yourself as hard as you can – after all “no pain, no gain.”

Neither option is ideal.

If you choose what is behind door #1, there is a distinct possibility that you won’t start again – momentum is everything. Bonus: you will actually recover more quickly if you continue to move – you really want to keep from getting stiff.

So, then the answer must be to keep at it, right? Wrong again. If you are really sore or hurt, training that way is most likely going to exacerbate the problem – so if you aren’t hurt yet, you will be soon. If you are hurt, you will either further aggravate the existing injury or cause new injuries from your compensatory movement patterns.

This week, if you just aren’t feeling the love for the training program you have planned that day, take a day of active rest. By active rest, I mean still get out and do something, but cut way back on the intensity. It can be a nice walk, a leisurely bike ride, or light dynamic mobility work to keep the body moving.

Work out the stiffness, but never move in to pain.