November planning

November planning

Building through planned recovery

Ever trained for a marathon? A long-distance endurance sport? A goal that seemed far away? This is a gentle nod to the importance of building strength and achieving goals through planned recovery.

Muscles cannot be taxed maximally every minute. Periods of rest must be built in for growth to occur. Same for our brain. We cannot have a continuous stream of cognitive load without a break. More on that another time.

Let’s just start with the notion that fitness performance by athletes is planned. Periods of intense activity is supported by built-in rest periods. This doesn’t mean couch-surfing. Rather, a day where the muscles have a chance to rebuild after being “broken down” through a big workout, long run, or major climb. A walk. Light jog. Easy yoga.

It’s interesting. A common block I’ve noticed from people is that they “need” to exercise every single day. Having a day without a formal workout or major cardiovascular drill is seen as being lazy or as though they skipped something. In between the lines there is judgement being imposed.

I understand because I’ve been that person too.

Instead, consider that achieving maximal gains requires intentional rest.

Notice what happens during your next big day of effort when you’ve had a planned rest day beforehand. A day where exercise and movement was light. Supported by healthy meals, minimal indulgences, and a decent sleep if possible. See how much better that run, ride, hike, or swim (or any preferred activity) feels. See how much more reserve you have available when you want to push the next strength training session. It’s subtle, but it will be noticeable.

Check the numbers on your wearable if you must. However, I would encourage you to try something different. Instead, try tuning into the workout so that you notice the days where you feel most energized. This is a way of knowing – internal knowing. Different from metrics provided by a wearable.

Planned recovery should be embedded into every week. Some advocate that it’s every 3 days. It’s likely more nuanced than that. Personalized. Consider cyclic events in life that interrupt our energy and sleep (think shift work, newborn care, menstrual cycle) – can you find a pattern where days are best optimized for workout intensity and other days where planned recovery fits?

The first step is mindset. Know that planned recovery is what every elite athlete ensures. You should too. Perhaps start by shifting the thinking by looking more long-range so that recovery days are seen as part of an overarching plan to get you to the goal. Like anything that is built from the ground up, it tends to look like this:

Image co-created by KLH and AI.

Know that your Secret Cell will thank you for some planned recovery. Consider your upcoming month:

·      start noticing how you feel during each workout/run/fitness session

·      ask yourself how you feel about a recovery day – do you judge a day of rest or see this as a component of your long-term fitness?

·      try a planned recovery day at least once per week and then assess how the next workout feels. What do you notice?

Kathryn