Training Diary - Active Rest Week

Last week's training schedule was so nice! I slept in (some days until 8am!), went to a few yoga classes, played hockey a couple of times, worked a bit on my putting, and basically got to chill out. It's called my 'Active Rest' phase and every 6 or 8 weeks, I get a week OFF from my gym workouts.

Enjoying my week of Active Rest!

This is a very necessary part of my training and without it, I have an increased risk of injury, fatigue, or burnout before the end of golf season.  Physically, it allows my body to recover from all the hard work I've been doing to build muscle and strength the last 6 weeks. I also made the time to get myself re-adjusted at the chiropractor's office and enjoy my favorite treatment - a massage! By the end of the week, I felt great and was definitely ready to get back into the gym.

'Active Rest' is not only essential for elite athletes but for everyone! It's important to slow down from time to time (depending on the amount of activity you are doing and how your body is feeling). Active Rest can mean a variety of different things but the basic idea is that you are maintaining some level of activity but with much less intensity. Go for a leisurely walk or bike ride, enjoy a yoga class, spend time working on your flexibility, or try a new low intensity activity. This helps prevent boredom, over-training, or chronic injuries from repeating the same types of activity.  Allowing your body to recover also makes your workouts more effective once you do return to your routine and helps you to recharge mentally.

Furthermore, for me,  it allowed me to get excited about the next phase of my workout plan - Power Training! More on that in another blog...

Happy resting,
K