Are Your Serious About Getting Fit? Stop Exercising.

Clearly, I'm not suggesting that you never exercise, but in this day and age where it seems more folks choose to over-train, recovery is highly under-rated.

As I kicked off this week with the TACFIT Commando Workout it was refreshing to 'get to work' by actually doing two active recovery workouts. Yes, 2 of the 4 days per week that you dedicate to TACFIT are actually focused on recovery.

Scott Sonnon's philosophy behind this is that high performance can only reach a sustainable balance when you balance hard-core intensity with active recovery. This allows trainees to obtain peak performance while remaining injury free -- a must for the tactical responders (soldiers, fireman, bodyguards, et al) this program was designed for.

Brilliant!

There are plenty of people who feel that they must get to the gym 5 - 6 times each week, even if it's 'just' to run a few miles on the treadmill. There's even one person on the DailyBurn.com message forum who insists on spending 5 hours at the gym every other day(!!!)

These are likely the same individuals who are or who soon will be dealing with chronic injuries.

My vestibular disorder forces me to take 2 - 3 days/week of passive rest. With that said, I feel everyone can benefit by incorporating both passive and active rest in to their weekly workout schedule.

Minimally, consider adding 1 full day of passive rest. This is a great opportunity to refresh your body with a massage or a long soak in a tub.

You should also incorporate 1 - 2 days of active rest which can include yoga or very light cardio.

While it may seem counter-intuitive, taking a few days off each week and engaging in both active and passive recovery will enhance recovery between workouts (both physically and mentally) and keep you on track for achieving your fitness goals.

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan