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The lost art of rest: The myth of active recovery

Updated: Nov 6


Yo, you suck at resting. Me too.

 

Even when resting, there is a desire to perform. As if succeeding in recovery was an achievement in itself.

 

At CrossFit, they invented the concept of “recovery WOD”. This type of training aims to promote active recovery by performing light and less intense exercises, allowing the muscles to relax while remaining in movement.

 

In running, there is the “recovery run”, the aim of which is to promote blood circulation, eliminate muscle toxins such as lactic acid and reduce muscle aches after intense sessions.



How to rest properly


The Illusion of Active Recovery

 

Well, this is all bullshit. Some of it.

 

No, it's not really recovery, it's more training. At a lower intensity, but training nonetheless. Added stress to our bodies. But for a high-performing person, a so-called "alpha" personality, this is exactly what they need: to perform in all aspects of their life, even when resting.

 

The other day I was listening to an interview with Dr. Mike Israetel on the Modern Wisdom podcast. Most of the conversation revolved around rest, and I have to admit, it was refreshing.

 

Israetel explains that “recovery” workouts act as a “temporary analgesic”: they reduce the sensation of soreness by stimulating sensory receptors, but they don’t actually eliminate accumulated muscle fatigue. In other words, if the goal is to fully recover from intense exertion, passive rest is often more beneficial. This type of rest allows muscle tissue to repair itself without adding additional stress. In this perspective, a “recovery run” may improve muscle comfort, but it doesn’t contribute to true recovery.


How to Rest Well: The Art of Lazing Around

 

So how do you really rest? How do you be optimal? It’s simple: by doing nothing at all. By disconnecting from work, relaxing, napping, reading a book or even watching Netflix. Yes, even Netflix, but without being on social media at the same time… Why? Because the goal is to calm the nervous system.

 

Boredom is what we aim for. Real boredom. The goal is to be so rested that boredom makes you want to get up and do stuff. That's hard to achieve these days with our phones. If you have kids, you know that staring into space doesn't exist. You have to put that boredom on the calendar.


Rest for elite athletes: a lesson for us all

 

In the past, I have worked with high-level athletes and corporate coaches through CANU. One highlight was visiting the Canoe Kayak Canada team at Lac Beauport. After their morning training, their game plan for the afternoon was simple: eat and sleep. While talking to one of them, he asked us to get in the shade because the sun was likely to exhaust him for the evening training. Another was going to get a massage.

 

In an interview with the coach, we found that in his training program, rest was as important as the training itself. It was an integral part of their schedule, just like weight training sessions. Brought back to the organizational level of companies, is rest scheduled within the company itself? As a performance metric, rest is just as important.

 

A 100m sprinter in training in the morning, does nothing the rest of the day. He eats and sleeps. Intense effort, intense rest.

 

And here we are, with our 35 to 60 hour weeks, children, obligations, and no gaps in the schedule, chaining together performances. Performing at work, in love, in raising our children, we start running like crazy, doing CrossFit six times a week, HIIT or powerlifting (or not, you might say). But never a moment of rest. As if rest would slip naturally into our daily lives. Well no.

 

Athletes rest to perform, but we rarely do. And even if most people were to move a lot more, establishing a proper rest routine would help those who are new to training persevere. Life is stressful, and training is another. Rest allows you to recover and move better.


Hyperactivity and impact on recovery

 

In general, and including myself, both at work and in training, we never perform at our best and we never rest at our best. Being busy all the time creates confusion where we confuse this hyperactive state with performance. Even more so with our addiction to phones and social networks that feed this mental hyperactivity. And when the brain is stressed, the body is too, because it regulates itself at rest.

 

Israetel explains that complete rest, or lazing, allows muscles to repair and energy stores (like muscle glycogen) to replenish, which isn't always the case with active recovery. While active recovery can improve temporary comfort, lazing gives the body the time it needs for deep repair and full regeneration.

 

Rediscovering the lost art of rest


The invitation is to reconnect with the lost art of rest. To put it on the agenda. To rediscover slowness and deep boredom, the one that leads to moving afterwards with desire and energy.

 

Rest well to move well.

 

And you know what? Well, jack, a massage. It's pure relaxation. Lots of blood circulation, pressure on tensions, no phone, a little esoteric music with whale songs, and thoughts that wander towards boredom. I'm here for you.

 

Admit that this is a smart service placement… I’m proud of that one!

 

Namaste,

 

G

 

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