Be More Flexible With Your Time

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

06 May 2007 12:10 PM

It can be hard when you are trying to develop a fitness schedule to know how much rest is enough and how much rest is too much. In fact, if you read a lot of our blogs here, we offer a variety of different advice because different things work for different people. Another important reason to be flexible about your time and your workout is because sometimes, the more intense the workout, the more recovery time you need.

Understanding Recovery Time

Recovery time is the time that begins after your workout and lasts until your next workout. Recovery time is actually when your body does all the work in response to the workout you gave it. When you engage in a really intense workout - it's not just the workout that earns you the stronger muscles and the leaner figure - no - it's the time your body spends in recovery and recuperation after the workout that allows it to build muscle, tone and tighten.

Too often we get so focused on the workout that we forget - it's not just the workout. For example, if you engage in an intense hour long session of cardio pumping Jazzercise, your body will continue burning extra calories for as much as two to three hours after the workout. You will also spend the next several hours resting and repairing your body, getting stronger and developing your lung capacity.

This happens every single time you work out.

Forgoing Recovery Time

When you forgo the proper recovery time, you don't actually get stronger, you don't get leaner - in fact, you get weaker and more tired, why? Because your body doesn't have time to repair the muscles, lean or otherwise and you aren't replenishing your energy stores. You can actually tear up and damage your muscles rather than strengthen them through repair if you overdo it. We have a word for this - we call it over training.

So be more flexible with your time. Don't short yourself on the proper recovery time. The average person needs 24 to 48 hours of recovery time after a moderate to heavy workout. The harder your workout, the more recovery time you need.

How much recovery time do you give yourself?

Related Articles:

Fitness Tips: Low-Budget Workouts

The Long Route

20 Minutes A Day Can Change Your Life

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger