Rest is the cousin of death: a trifecta for energetic rest days.

May 3, 2016 Ashley 0 Comments

Loathe the lazy feeling of “rest day”?

You ‘n me both, love.

In fact, my don’t-follow-in-my fractured-footsteps idea of breaking away from cardio or strength training has long meant just doing one workout. (Ya know, instead of four.) However, there is a halfway happy medium for how you spend your more torpid stint of an inactive 24 hours each weak week. And according to the experts of exercise, you can quasi satiate those activity cravings by doing the following rest day trifecta: stroll, roll, ‘n stretch.

1. Walk this way:

Why walk? Well, by doing a brief twenty minute meandering, you get the poor man’s version of that classic cardio feeling. Even though you’re not technically taxing your bod the way you would with a jog or spin sesh, you’re still funneling in the feel-good hormones. Also, if you take your traipsing outside, it’ll help level out your melatonin levels (good for later when you’re tryn’a fall asleep but can’t ’cause your feet are going 100 RPM, Fred Flinstone style.) Need s’more inspo to try this consolation exer-prise?

How ’bout this brain scan that’s as active and tacky-hued as a Hallmark Christmas tree at Mardi Gras?

2. They see me rolling, they aiding

Yes, aiding them muscles in recovery betwixt getting ripped. I mean, if you’ve got access to Helga the next-level Swedish masseuse with iron thumbs, by all means, summon her in lieu. Obvi. But if you’re like me (and poor), go for the forty dollar, DIY, life-sized, myofascial, foam rolling pin. The upside’s that when you get to more ornery areas – like your IT band – you can take it nice ‘n slow instead’ve having someone recklessly rape your leg muscles with their psychopathic digits. By hitting all the sore spots yourself, it’ll only cost you a couple Tubmans – and save you the risk of injury that skipping it might. You’ll also vastly improve workout performance and flexibility.

Indeed, this masochistic cylinder’s the best kept secret in your inter-cardio arsenal.

3. Lemme see you do that yoga

(Or some other boring form of stretching if transcendent body nirvana isn’t your thing.)

If you can’t afford a foam roller, at least be sure you’re doing this after ambulating. (Actually, even after f’real cardio on non-rest days.) By doing a bit of body bend-ery post plodding down the street (or trail) for 20 minutes, spend 30 seconds apiece (thrice) on untightening your major muscle players. And who’s in that lineup, exactly? Your thigh tops, thigh backs, calves, booty, and back. See? I’d rather do dive bombers interspersed with burpees than try to commit that laundry list of leg loosening to memory. That’s one’ve the reasons I like a nice de-knotting yogic flow that addresses ’em all from one fluid move to the next:

Best of luck braving your pro-active down day, my sudoriferous associates.