Rest Day Activities to Keep You Moving

If you exercise frequently, you’ll know the importance of ‘rest days.’ Rest days are a chance for your body to recover and heal, as well as giving yourself a break from the grind preventing exercise burnout. However, rest days shouldn’t be all about lounging around on the sofa, not moving, and throwing your meal plan out the window. Instead, you should find enjoyable yet low impact exercises to keep you active without putting too much strain on your body. Here are a few of my favourite low impact exercises for my rest days.

Walking

Walking is an incredibly underrated form of exercise. It’s a great cardiovascular workout which can be light or made more difficult if you increase incline or pace. On rest days, take it steady. You don’t need to set out of the house with the intention of doing a walking workout, just go somewhere fun!

You could go into your local town or city and do some window shopping. You could take in some scenery in the woods or at the beach, or you could take a stroll to meet a friend that lives within walking distance. You’ll rack up steps without thinking about it while giving your body the rest it needs. Just make sure you have supportive, comfortable shoes on and get yourself out and about!

Swimming

Not only is swimming a lot of fun, but it’s incredibly low impact. As the water supports your body, there’s no strain at all on your joints making it the perfect rest day or recovery exercise! Swimming uses every muscle in your body, is a great cardiovascular workout without being too intense (if you take it easy), and shapes and sculpts the body.

If you’re used to sweating it out in the gym, it’s a little different and genuinely enjoyable. You could do some laps, look for an aqua aerobics group or even just search  ‘swimming classes near me’ if you’re a total beginner. If you live near a beach or a body of water that’s safe to swim in, you could save cash and go and have a swim there instead!

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Cycling

Cycling is a great way to get active. With the ability to tailor the ride for the super fit to beginners, cycling is for anyone...who can ride a bike. On your rest day, go with a nice, flat, and even route. Even if you're usually happy to tackle big hills and crank up the gears, keep it easy on your rest days. It will still work your heart and lungs, not to mention your legs, arms, back and core. There’s lots of information on cycle routes online, and if you use an app like Komoot you can program in a route, and it will tell you how easy or challenging it will be.

Stretching
The most underrated of all exercises, stretching helps release muscle tension. On your rest days, shoot for static stretches or yoga poses. You should feel a slight pull while in the stretch, holding the position for 20-90 seconds. Repeat the stretch as needed until the tension in your muscles is minimised.

I also like to do a few, simple yoga stretches. This allows me the option to scan my body and see what it needs. From there, I can address any tension or soreness, giving my body the attention it needs.

What is your favourite rest day activity? Be sure to join the discussion down below.

And until next time...

Stay curious!