"active rest"

sassyg

As I can now manage a decent run on flat to gently rolling terrain, I've recently started running up the hills around my home (8-11% grade). This is giving my thighs a good workout, and I want to at this stage give them 2 days rest between runs to recover.
However, I don't want to do nothing on those two days. I don't go to a gym.
What is "active rest" and can I apply it to my week, or is it more for weightlifters?
I was thinking of doing 10 minutes or so of jump rope on those days for cardio without working the thigh muscles.
Or would a 20-30 minute walk around the same hills, which would work the thighs but a lot more gently, without getting the heart rate up so much, be better?

AbiLuV

"20-30 minute walk around the same hills, which would work the thighs but a lot more gently, without getting the heart rate up so much, be better? "

I think this sounds like a great idea!

questionablemethods

Maybe I'm way off, but I've always thought of "active rest" as simply taking a day off of your typical workout routine but not just sitting on the couch all day. So, I try to run 3x/week and do bodyweight circuits 4x/week (doubling up one day) and then I will have one day "off". But that day "off" doesn't mean that sit and do nothing. I might walk to the farmer's market or do some light yoga or take a spin on the bike. I typically don't count these in on MFP as I just consider them part of leading a greater-than-sedentary lifestyle but not what I would call "exercise." (Although a 20-30 minute walk is definitely exercise to someone who has never really exercised and is really very sedentary. I'm not trying to downplay it.)

When I was tapering before a triathlon I felt like I was going stir crazy so I would take long walks. I suppose that is another form of active rest when you are tapering before a big event.

funfor5

I would at least walk. or possibly bike? Or get an exercise dvd of some sort to do on the off days. I only run 3 times a week and the other days I bike, walk, or do exercise videos, like Billy Blanks Tae Bo or Jillian Micheals. My legs seem to hold up fine and I'm able to do my runs - with hills - the 3 days I do them. I usually take 1 day off completely of exercise each week. It helps to cross train so you are not working the same muscles all the time, it will actually make you go faster and have better endurance. Maybe you could also alternate on your days off doing some sprints -- walk for 10 minutes, sprint on a flat for 1 minute, and repeat as many times as you wish. Not sure how far you are running?

Good Luck!

sassyg

Maybe I'm way off, but I've always thought of "active rest" as simply taking a day off of your typical workout routine but not just sitting on the couch all day. So, I try to run 3x/week and do bodyweight circuits 4x/week (doubling up one day) and then I will have one day "off". But that day "off" doesn't mean that sit and do nothing. I might walk to the farmer's market or do some light yoga or take a spin on the bike. I typically don't count these in on MFP as I just consider them part of leading a greater-than-sedentary lifestyle but not what I would call "exercise." (Although a 20-30 minute walk is definitely exercise to someone who has never really exercised and is really very sedentary. I'm not trying to downplay it.)

When I was tapering before a triathlon I felt like I was going stir crazy so I would take long walks. I suppose that is another form of active rest when you are tapering before a big event.

yeah I'm not entirely sure what it is either, but see the term used sometimes.
I sort of took it to mean that you're resting what you've been working on, but doing some other form of gentler exercise - so biking would be out cos it's just working those same muscles - but maybe something that's more of a upper-body gentle workout (like swimming if I swam) would be a good option?
But I'm not really sure! that's just my (possibly misguided) take on it.


I have a fairly physical job so my days off I'm still quite active, iygwim. Yeah I guess it would differ for someone essentially sedentary.

sassyg

I would at least walk. or possibly bike? Or get an exercise dvd of some sort to do on the off days. I only run 3 times a week and the other days I bike, walk, or do exercise videos, like Billy Blanks Tae Bo or Jillian Micheals. My legs seem to hold up fine and I'm able to do my runs - with hills - the 3 days I do them. I usually take 1 day off completely of exercise each week. It helps to cross train so you are not working the same muscles all the time, it will actually make you go faster and have better endurance. Maybe you could also alternate on your days off doing some sprints -- walk for 10 minutes, sprint on a flat for 1 minute, and repeat as many times as you wish. Not sure how far you are running?

Good Luck!

I was doing 5-6k on the flat to rolling. This hill circuit is 2.5k, with 8-11% grade hills. http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/new-zealand/tauranga/775127403551326175 I'm working to do the loop twice.

And thanks!

rybo

In the contexts I've read, (training for marathons & half-marathons) depending on your level of fitness, active rest was walking or a slow short run on your days "off". It seemed like they left it up to the individual to choose based on how they felt. But after really long or intensive workouts they recommended resting completely.