Stay in shape this festive season – treat yourself to rest and active recovery!

Active recovery – what is it all about?

Our body works best when it maintains homeostasis – the ability to keep internal balance, allowing it to function optimally despite changing external conditions.

The body regulates itself through various mechanisms, such as body temperature, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, and the concentration of certain chemicals in bodily fluids. Physical activity affects many aspects of the body, and recovery is about restoring its natural balance after training stimuli.

After exercise, the body needs time to repair damaged tissues and remove metabolic by-products created during energy production. How effective this process is depends on blood flow through the tissues – the faster it delivers rebuilding nutrients and removes waste metabolites, the better. This is exactly what active recovery is about – by doing low-intensity exercises, you boost blood flow through the tissues without putting extra strain on the muscles that have already worked hard.

The key benefits of active recovery include:

• reduced post-workout muscle soreness (delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, commonly known as “muscle aches”),
• less risk of injury and trauma,
• greater muscle flexibility – less stiffness,
• improving the overall mobility of muscles and joints.

Rest after exercise doesn’t have to mean doing nothing. However, recovery-focused activity should be done at a lower intensity, so it doesn’t put extra strain on tired muscles and joints. Ignoring this rule can lead to fatigue, overtraining, and injuries.

Active recovery – what’s worth doing?

Active recovery usually involves movement exercises done at a steady, moderate pace and low intensity. Both strength-training fans sand endurance athletes will appreciate a walk, a light jog, or an easy bike ride (indoors or outdoors) – all kept within about 60% of your maximum heart rate. A swimming pool can also be a great option. Swimming at a moderate pace supports active recovery for many muscle groups, improves overall mobility, and is gentle on the spine and joints.         

Mobility training elements can also play a role in active recovery. We especially recommend them for strength trainees who work with heavy loads. Thanks to their wide accessibility – you can even do them at home – they’re a valuable addition to any training plan. Mobility training draws on movement patterns from yoga, pilates, static and dynamic stretching, and functional training. Mobility work also includes self-massage techniques using rollers or balls. You may also come across recovery flow classes that combine the bodywork elements mentioned above with mindfulness and greater body awareness.

It’s also worth mentioning various forms of recovery and regeneration that fit perfectly into the idea of active recovery. Physiotherapy treatments, sports and relaxation massages, saunas, and cryotherapy support recovery processes and help prevent injuries.

Deload and recovery – why is the festive season the perfect time?

When thinking about recovery, it’s important to remember the time you set aside for rest. We usually think in terms of immediate recovery (rest between exercise sets) or short-term recovery (rest between training sessions).

At a more advanced level, long-term recovery becomes important – planned recovery breaks between training cycles or competition starts. A deload phase – training at lower intensity, volume, or load – is a standard part of training periodisation for advanced athletes. However, anyone who is physically active can benefit from it. A longer rest period supports not only physical recovery but also mental balance after intense effort, helping reduce stress and improve sleep quality.

The festive season is a perfect time for deloading and active recovery. The reason is simple – we take time off work, often travel, and finally have a bit more time for ourselves. Here’s how you can use this time to stay active, recharge, and return to regular training feeling refreshed and energised:

1. Choose movement. If you’re planning last-minute holiday shopping, break it up – walk between shops instead of driving and wasting time in traffic. If winter weather doesn’t bother you, swap the car for a bike.
2. Heading away? Change the scenery. Spending the holidays away from the city is a great chance to enjoy more time outdoors and try new activities. We especially recommend winter mountain trips – on foot or on cross-country skis.
3. Spend time with loved ones. But not on the sofa in front of the TV, but on shared walks and snowy fun outdoors. For you, it’s active recovery – for your loved ones, it’s pure joy!
4. Lend a hand with holiday preparations. If holiday shopping walks aren’t your thing, get involved in other tasks that require a bit of movement – like cleaning or decorating your home and garden. NEAT activities (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) can also be a form of active recovery.
5. Write a letter to Santa. The holidays are all about gifts – so why not ask for… an activity that supports your recovery? A pool pass, a physiotherapy session, massages, or cryotherapy. The choice of “active” gifts is huge!

What should you watch out for during holiday recovery?

Many active people worry that holiday laziness combined with festive feasting could lead to a drop in form. Is that really the case? To some extent, yes – but remember, you decide how you rest and what effects it has. We’re just here to point out what to watch for, so your holiday deload doesn’t turn into post-holiday frustration.

1. You need to know when to step away from the table. During a deload period, you might feel like eating larger portions and more sweets. But be careful – calorie bombs aren’t great for a less active body. We’re not suggesting a restrictive diet over the holidays, but sometimes it’s worth stepping away from the table and going for a walk.
2. Remember to stay hydrated. Hydration is key during recovery – especially over the holidays, when we tend to reach for sugary drinks more often.
3. The holidays are there to help you catch up on sleep. If you’re on holiday, take care of your sleep – both how long you sleep and how regular it is. Cut down on screen time in the evenings, keep your bedroom cool and dark, and enjoy a good night’s sleep!
4. You can still exercise – just do it with care. If you feel like going to the gym during a deload, that’s fine – active recovery doesn’t rule it out. Just remember that you’re in a deload phase. So you don’t train as usual – you work lighter, for shorter sessions, and with less load. The key is to make sure recovery sessions don’t turn into hard workouts during this much-needed rest period.

We wish you a festive season filled with active recovery – both physical and mental – for you and your loved ones! Rest well and stay healthy!

^References:

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