Field notes · Sleep and recovery
Recovery days: what to actually do on them
Training breaks you down. Recovery is where you get stronger. After forty, the rest day is not a day off from the plan. It is part of it.
Dai Manuel · Coach Moose · Vancouver
What a good recovery day looks like
Walk. Thirty to sixty minutes, easy pace, ideally outside. Do ten minutes of gentle mobility for whatever feels tight. Hit your protein target like any other day. Go to bed on time.
That is not a lazy day. That is exactly the kind of day that makes Thursday's session better than Tuesday's.
What it is not
It is not a secret extra workout because you felt guilty. It is also not twelve hours on the couch. Gentle movement helps you recover better than doing nothing.
If you are still wrecked from a session two days later, the session was too hard. Adjust the training, not the rest.
Common questions
- What should I do on a rest day after 40?
- Walk, do light mobility, eat enough protein and protect your sleep. Gentle movement supports recovery better than complete inactivity.
Sources
- Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults. Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology.