The Importance of Recovery

I’m now at home recovering from an operation and I have been advised by my consultant to take things slowly, listen to my body and give myself the time I need before returning to full training. I am not good at doing nothing and haven’t taken a break from my exercise routine for as long as I can remember. But if there’s one thing I’m being reminded of right now, it’s that recovery is just as important as training itself.

Whether you’re recovering from an injury, illness, surgery or simply a particularly demanding period of training, I’m always the one reminding you that your body needs time to recover. And while I’m not medically trained and everyone’s circumstances are different, I wanted to share some of the things I’m thinking about during this period – and why taking time away from training doesn’t mean you’re moving backwards.

Recovery isn’t a break from the process, it’s an essential part of it.

Why rest and recovery are essential

Regardless of if you’re taking a planned rest day, backing off because you’re feeling run down, or recovering from an injury, recovery is not separate from strength training. Training gives your body a reason to adapt, recovery gives it the opportunity to do so. After a strength session your muscles need time to repair and rebuild, replenish energy and adapt to the pressure you’ve placed on them. Over time recovery and adaptation is what helps you become stronger.

Aside from your muscles, your nervous system, energy levels, sleep and mental capacity are all affected by training. If you continually add more stress without enough recovery, fatigue can build faster than your body can adapt.

Think of it simply:

• Training challenges your body.
• Recovery gives your body time to repair and rebuild.
• That process is what helps you become stronger.

This is also why I’m cautious about encouraging people to train through an injury. I’m often asked, “Can I still exercise?”  And sometimes there are forms of movement that may be appropriate, depending on the injury and the advice you’ve been given. But if an area is injured, repeatedly loading it before it has had the opportunity to heal will affect that process, aggravate the injury and turn something relatively short-term into a much longer problem.

There is a difference between working hard and working through pain. When you’re injured, rest isn’t about losing fitness or progress. It’s about removing the demand that your body is currently struggling to manage, so that healing can happen properly. 

What can I do when I’m unable to follow my usual workouts?

This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot. Being told to stop can feel disruptive (and frustrating). When exercise is such a big part of your routine, suddenly having more time can feel strange. You might find yourself wondering what you’re supposed to do instead. The answer will be different for everyone dependent on their situation and you should always follow the specific advice you’ve been given about movement during your recovery. Never push through pain and watch any delayed response. 

Here’s personally what I will be doing. Movement of all kinds is so beneficial for my circulation, coordination, balance, mind, everything! Not staying too still in one position. I like to think of it as movement snacks rather than training. So I am practising:

• Easy walks – gentle 10 minute walks 3 or 4x a day and building up in time gradually. Adding gentle inclines and stairs.
• Gentle mobility – avoiding core exercises (& push ups) for now but lots of lower body movements such as glute bridges, leg raises, calf raises, standing marches, shallow lunges and squats. Shoulder rolls, ankle circles etc. Shout if you would like me to film a sequence of recovery movements if these are helpful!
• No weights at all for the time being or upper body exercises – I will wait for those. (Keep moving what you safely can – for some of you who may have an upper body injury for example maybe you can still train your legs)
• Gentle yoga and breathing exercises.

Don’t chase fatigue, this is not a time for personal bests. Keep your expectations flexible.

Your body remembers – muscle memory!

One of the biggest concerns when taking time away from exercise is losing the progress you’ve made. But your body doesn’t simply forget what it has learned. Regular training creates adaptations in your muscles, brain and nervous system. Improving strength, coordination, movement patterns and your ability to perform specific exercises. These adaptations are part of what we commonly call muscle memory.

You may lose some strength, fitness or muscle during a period away, but you’re not starting from scratch when it is time to return. Your nervous system has already learned the movements and your body has previously built the foundation needed to perform them. When you return to training, your body can rebuild more readily than it could when you first started. The progress may temporarily change, but the foundation you built is still there.

Knowing when to push and when to recover

This is exactly why I plan my online programme with intentional rest days. Alongside the four live classes each week, I deliberately build in days where your body has the opportunity to recover from the training you’ve already done. For those who are still training, these days help your muscles, joints and connective tissues recover and reduce the risk of fatigue and niggles building up. For those who are currently injured, recovery may look very different – it may mean stepping away from training altogether and allowing the body the time it needs to heal.

The principle is the same: your body can only benefit from the work you give it if you also give it time to recover. Rest days aren’t something you need to make up for, and time away because of injury isn’t time wasted. Both are part of listening to your body and giving it what it needs to keep you strong and able to train.

A final thought

The biggest thing I’m taking from this experience is that rest is not the opposite of training. It is part of how we train well. We can become so focused on what we can do – another workout, another set, another increase in weight – that we forget to pay attention to what our bodies are asking of us. Strength isn’t built by constantly pushing harder. It’s built through the balance between challenge and recovery.

For me, being forced to step away from training has been a reminder that progress isn’t always visible. Sometimes progress looks like allowing your body to heal, sleeping more, eating well, or simply having the patience to wait.

So whether you’re taking your planned rest day or you’ve had no choice but to step away from training for a while, you are not moving backwards. You are still taking care of the body you want to keep strong for all of the years to come!

As always, any questions please do get in touch.

Caroline x