The power of rest: when it comes to fitness, sometimes less is more

FEBRUARY 14, 1995, is a red-letter date on my workout calendar. Not because it was Valentine's Day, but because for nearly six years afterward, that Tuesday was the last day on which I didn't exercise. Yes, it's true: I worked out for more than 2,000 consecutive days.

Several personal factors fueled my no-rest-for-the-weary streak, including an unexpected divorce, but the main reason I didn't skip a day of rowing, running, swimming, mountain biking or weight training was that I feared if I took one day off, it would lead to two. Then two days would become a week of sloth, which would become two weeks, then a month, until I turned into a full-fledged slug. It took a three-month, world-tour honeymoon to break me of my habit.

Somewhere between Madrid and Mongolia, I realized that if I insisted on maintaining my streak, I'd return home without my new husband. Jack doesn't quite share my commitment to exercise, so it would have caused some friction, to say the least, if I'd continued to skip chapel tours and museum excursions in favor of five-mile runs.

On a four-day train ride into Siberia, when I couldn't even squeeze in a touristy power walk, I also realized something else: My quads weren't always subtly aching and my back wasn't in spasm when I turned too quickly. Not only that, but when I finally did get to run, I felt a new burst of energy. It's crazy, but I had to travel clear around the world to realize the value of kicking back.

It's a lesson, experts say, that every fitness buff needs to learn. "One of the big fears of very active people is that they'll lose fitness if they take time off," says Cheryl Kruse Shwe, owner and head coach of Run 4 Life in San Francisco. "But the opposite is true: Rest and recovery allows you to move to a higher level of fitness."

Top athletes know well the power of rest. "There are no elite athletes who are continuous motion machines," says Gale Bernhardt, a Colorado-based coach and the author of Training Plans for Multisport Athletes (Velo Press, 2000). They all incorporate rest because they know it will make them healthier, stronger and faster. Recreational athletes need to follow suit, Bernhardt says.

Rest is essential because it allows your muscle tissue to rebuild. "This recovery phase lets your body repair tissues and synthesize proteins," explains William J. Kraemer, PhD, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Connecticut at Storrs. "Otherwise, your body is always in a state of breaking things down."

While you can't see these processes working, you will feel the results. Your body will feel rejuvenated, and you'll feel newly motivated. You won't have muscle aches and joint pains. You'll have fewer, if any, overuse injuries. You'll sleep better. "Rest is like a pit stop: It gives your body the time to put everything back together--even better than when you pulled into the pit stop," Kraemer says.

Before you head for the couch instead of the gym, however, know that rest doesn't always mean total inactivity. There are two types of rest: complete rest and active rest. A day of complete rest means no exercise, just going about your daily living--going to work, grocery shopping, hanging with friends or family, watching some tube. Active rest, as its name implies, involves doing some activity--either something different from your main sport (swimming instead of running, for instance) or a shorter, easier version of your usual workout.

Some coaches and athletes believe strongly in taking one day of complete rest each week, whereas others think active rest is more effective. Different athletes respond to different training programs, and the rule of thumb for rest may also vary by sport. So experiment to find out what works for you, and listen to your body on a daily basis. If you haven't scheduled a rest day but feel sluggish or achy, take the day off. It doesn't mean you're lazy; it means you're smart.

THE RULES OF REST

For endurance athletes and cardio devotees, the type and quantity of rest you need depends on several factors, including your age, sport, years of experience, personality, medical history, previous injuries and training goals. The older you are, for example, the more active rest you need. "Active rest becomes a critical part of maintaining athletic longevity," says Nancy H. Cummings, MEd, coordinator of research at the USA Triathlon National Training Center in Clermont, FL, and a competitive track-and-field athlete who just turned 40.

Cummings says younger athletes who are newer to their sports also need extra active rest because their bodies haven't had time to adjust to the demands of their sports. Runners, volleyball players and other high-impact athletes also need more recovery than people who do lower-impact activities such as swimming. As a general rule, all exercisers should take an active rest day--if not a day of complete rest--at least every seven to 10 days. Your workouts should vary in intensity and you shouldn't do more than two superhard workouts a week.

Just how easy should you exercise on your active rest days? There's no iron-clad rule, but probably somewhere between 55 and 75 percent of your maximum heart rate. "Your effort should feel comfortable and easy, as if you are holding back some," says Cummings. Aim for a workout that's about half as long as your average session.

When determining when and for how long to take a break, look at your training both on a weekly basis and on a monthly or even yearly basis. In the short term, Cummings suggests a four-day training cycle: a moderate workout the first day; a more strenuous session on day two; a longer, easier workout on day three, followed by a day of active rest. For example, if you're a gym-goer, you might do cardio hip-hop or step aerobics on Monday, take an advanced Spinning class on Tuesday, use the elliptical for 60 minutes at a lower heart rate on Wednesday, and, finally, on Thursday, take a yoga or stretching class. Then, on Friday, start the whole cycle again.

If you work out mainly for fitness, experts suggest a three- or four-week cycle: During the first two or three weeks build intensity or volume, then take one easier week. For gymgoers, this can mean taking fewer classes or staying at the back of class.

If you're aiming for an athletic event, Shwe suggests that you divide your program into four phases: build-up, high intensity, competition and recovery. Plan a few three- or four-day breaks of complete rest into each four- to six-month training cycle. "The rest periods are like three-day weekends in your work life--you come back feeling rejuvenated," Shwe says. An experienced coach or trainer can help you with a detailed training program. Or, log on to www.trainingbible.com/gale/ to sample programs by Gale Bernhardt.

REST AND STRENGTH TRAINING

The principles of rest also apply to weight-training. As you probably know, most muscle groups need at least 48 hours of rest between workouts to recover from the microscopic damage inflicted during a lifting session. However, for long-term progress, it's also important to go through recovery periods during which you significantly cut back on the amount of weight you lift and number of sets you do.

Taking a look at the grand scheme, aim to break your annual training program into three cycles that have five mini-cycles in them. As you move through the two- to four-week mini-cycles, increase the weight and decrease the number of repetitions. The final phase is the active rest phase, which usually involves an entire week's vacation from lifting while doing only light to moderate cardio exercise and stretching. For more details about how to devise a strength program with mini-cycles, check out the guidelines issued by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, available online at www.nsca-lift.org. There's no question that after your active rest phase, you'll return to the weight room feeling refreshed and eager to lift.

That's how I felt when we returned home from our world tour: I couldn't wait to hit the pool, gym and running trails. Along with the Russian nesting dolls, Thai silk scarf and plenty of other souvenirs, I'd also brought back a new attitude. I now give my muscles and my mind occasional breaks--even if they don't last three months and span the globe.

RELATED ARTICLE: OVERCOMING THE COMPULSION

You know you're supposed to give your body a rest occasionally, but what if your mind won't let you?

If you simply can't get yourself to rest--or if you skimp on family time or turn down social engagements to work out--it's important to see a therapist about your exercise addiction. "Anything done to excess to the point where it interferes with other aspects of your life is a problem that needs to be hammered out," explains Liza York, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist in Longmont, CO.

However, if your inability to rest is more of a bad habit than a serious addiction, you may be able to go the self-help route. For many serious exercisers, it's simply a matter of altering your mindset. "Realize that rest is part of the equation, just like eating correctly, stretching, speed work or sets and reps," says York, an accomplished distance runner. "It takes discipline, just like all the work you do."

If you worry that one day off will spiral into a lifetime of inactivity, know that for people who have been long committed to exercise, this is highly unlikely to happen. "Even after taking some time off, the drive to continue to train at that high level stays sincere," York says.

If taking a day of complete rest seems too drastic, start by incorporating active rest into your training program, and make these days fun and social. Walk with a friend, take your dog on an easy hike or try a different style of yoga--whatever suits your mood.

Schedule rest and recovery days into your calendar so you won't forget about them, and track them, along with your workouts, in a daily journal. Periodically review your log to make sure you're truly taking the rest you had planned.

In addition to logging miles run or weight lifted, monitor how you feel emotionally and physically, and look for patterns. You may notice that on weeks that include a complete rest day, you feel a lot better.

Most compulsive exercisers are eventually forced to learn the value of rest--because their workouts begin to hamper their social life, because they stop making progress or because they get injured. York says it took five stress fractures in one year to make her realize she had to inject rest days into her running program. "Everyone has their breaking point--literally."--SBS

ILLUSTRATIONS BY STEVEN BIVER

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