Active Rest Vs Passive Rest - Why I Workout Every Single Day

Intro - Why I Workout Every Single Day!

Since taking on the pursuit of trying to become a hybrid athlete, my mindset has change towards fitness along with my physique. There's a number of reasons why I workout everyday. Since discovering that lifting weights isn't the only way to stay in shape I realise I can still workout and recieve benefits without total exhaustion. Having your limbs intact and being well every day is an absolute privilege that most of us take for granted. 

The first and main reason is because my stress levels have remained unbelievably low. When you exercise your body releases endorphins & dopamine (the feel good factor). There hasn't really been a day where I have felt bad apart from the days I don't workout. Which leads to my next point. I feel bad if i don't workout, feelings of guilt, shame stay with me all day which isn't ideal. I also find it very easy to stay in shape following this method & I discovered active rest which i'll go into excruiating detail further on in this blog.

Passive Rest 

What actually is passive rest? This term is quite self explanatory. Passive rest requires no movement at all, where you limit any type of physical exertion. I.e. sitting down at watching netflix all day. Some benefits of passive rest include that there's no cost or time needing to be allocated to this activity and you can completely take your mind off fitness for the time being. However the cons of passive rest are you feel like you loose your momentum and sharpness. Too long spent resting can lead to the degredation of the attributes you've acquired. 

Active Rest

What is active rest? Active rest is low-intensity exercise completed a much easier exertion rate than your regular training. For example this could be walking, cycling or swimming. There's many ways to actively rest from your tough training regime. Some of the benefits of active rest are improved endurance, aids hormone control by releasing dopamine & It produces blood flow to speed up recovery. However the some of the cons of active rest are that it can aid toward exhaustion especially with sore body parts & if you live busy lifestyle it can be considered time consuming. Some more examples of active rest are: Sauna, Cold Plunges, Stretching, Hiking, Light Jogging, Foam rolling, Massages, Light Resistance Workouts, Yoga & Pilates.

Outro - Why I Choose Active Rest Everytime

Since embarking on my newly profound fitness journey. I now have a plethora of goals & targets I want to acheive which makes me realise the work is never-ending. However the reason I actively rest is becuase I notice it's very easy to stay in shape, as they say when it comes to your physique rent is due everyday.

I have noticed a huge increase in my fitness levels whilst maintaining fairly low body fat percentage levels which is perfect what i'm trying to acheive. My final point is that i've experienced less DOMS(Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). I can barely rememeber that last time I was truly sore after a workout.

If you made it this this far, I hope you enjoyed this blog furthermore learnt some valuable information which you can apply.