Get Better Results From Your Workouts With Recovery Time

There are plenty of people out there who have a hard time getting enough exercise, but if you’re a boot camp fitness training enthusiast, you may be one of the much smaller group with the opposite problem – too much exercise. Exercise is wonderful, but even if you’re training for an athletic event or just love how good working out makes you feel, it is possible to get too much of a good thing

.Simply put, exercise and rest are two sides of the same coin. Strenuous exercise can be tough on your body and you need to make sure you’re giving yourself what you need to build muscle and get fit – good nutrition for training and adequate recovery time. Workouts are what begin the process of change, but the real results are what happens during recovery. Not getting enough recovery time in between workouts can lead to the frustration of hitting a plateau as well as more serious problems like a higher resting heart rate, fatigue and a higher risk of injury.

Unfortunately, there is no one right answer to the question of how much rest is enough. It all depends on how hard and how frequently you work out, how fit you are to begin with and what kinds of stress you’re dealing with in general. If you’re doing intensive exercise like boot camp fitness training regularly, then you should take a rest day every 3 – 4 days. These recovery days don’t have to be spent on the couch; active recovery options like walking, yoga and stretching are all good choices.

For those who have especially intense workout regimens, you may want to even schedule a recovery week once per month consisting of lighter physical activity. Another way to make sure that you get the best results from your workouts is to mix up your workouts. For instance, strength training one day, running the next day, boot camp another day. This builds some recovery into your workout routine.  In combination with good nutrition for training (plenty of lean protein, healthy fat and complex carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and regular rest days, this should keep you on your way to getting the very most from every one of your workouts.

Finally, learn to listen to what your body is telling you. If you’re feeling like you really need a rest, that means that you probably do need to take a break. Varying the intensity of your workouts, giving yourself enough time to recover and getting the nutrition you need can make the difference between achieving your fitness goals and hitting a plateau or worse, injuring yourself by working out too hard for too long.