To Actively Recover or To Passively Recover, That is The Question

When it comes to recovery, you will inevitably face this dilemma.

The question arises because, ideally, we want to recover as quickly as possible. 

So which one will help us achieve that?

Understanding the difference, and the benefits of each will help us come to the answer.

So let’s first understand the difference.

The Lowdown of Recovery

Recovery is the process by which the body repairs and strengthens itself following physical and mental stress, including training. This involves breaking down tissue to retrieve energy, causing strain, and subsequently allowing the body to heal and grow stronger.

Passive Recovery utilises rest with minimal energy output and effort to allow the body to heal, recuperate, and adapt.

Active Recovery utilises relatively low-intensity activity to promote healing, recuperation, and adaptation.

Let’s simplify recovery in terms of a points system. 

If you incur 50 damage points from exercise, daily tasks, work stress, and emotional strain but only allow 40 recovery points, you'll have 10 points of unresolved damage - the deficit to full recovery.

It's important to remember that stress isn't just from exercise - we must also consider cognitive, emotional, and social stressors.

And so we come to the paradoxical nature of recovery.

The Rest Paradox

If we zoom out, forms of passive recovery, which include physical rest, sleep, nutrition, and relaxation modalities such as writing or meditating, are essential for true recovery. They must be present for the body to restore itself to baseline or beyond.

This raises a paradox - if passive recovery is so crucial, can active recovery actually help us recover? The answer is nuanced. While active recovery methods like low-intensity variations of your regular training (such as Zone 1-2 running or light weightlifting) might not directly induce recovery, they offer benefits such as maintaining blood flow, reducing muscle stiffness, and promoting faster clearance of metabolic waste products.

So whilst you might be adding damage points to your body with active recovery methods, your net recovery position may actually become positive, with enough time. 

Let me explain.

Recovered vs Recovering

Continuing the previous example, let’s say you hit a hard training session and incur 50 damage points, and through nutrition and rest, you gain 40 recovery points. This brings you to a deficit of 10 damage points. 

So you aren’t fully recovered yet, but you decide to incorporate two active recovery sessions thereafter, which incur 20 damage points each, bringing you back to where you started, at 50 deficit points.

Seems weird that you would prolong your full recovery. But what happens underneath the surface is, you get deeper into your energy systems without causing any serious fatigue. 

Now you’ve added 2 extra training sessions, and by the time you do your next high intensity session, you can attack it with more energy, and at higher frequencies. 

Essentially, you aren’t fully recovered, but you are making gains. 

So if your legs are cooked after a long run, why not focus on your core and upper body. It will affect your leg recovery slightly, but still allows sufficient rest while providing new stimuli for further adaptation.

And if we go even deeper under the surface, you will find that the impact of active recovery ventures into different realms.

Strong body, strong mind.

That’s right - the effect of active recovery extends to your mind, because your body and mind are connected. 

The mind-body relationship is like yin and yang. 

Whilst you might be enduring physical stress - the yin, you may also be inducing a positive hormonal release - the yang. 

Increased motivation, feeling of competence, mindfulness through movement. 

You end up regulating your nervous system by reducing the stress on your mind - whether it be emotional, spiritual, social or cognitive. 

So whilst you incur 20 damage points in the physical realm, you induce 30 recovery points through the mental realm, and you are now at a net recovery surplus of 10. 

Whilst this seems simple, it can be a challenge to strike a harmonious balance. 

Finding the right balance between passive and active recovery

So how much active and passive recovery is the right amount? 

I’m glad you asked. 

The bad news is, if you’re looking for a one-size-fits-all answer, there isn’t.

The good news is, there is a path to find the right balance for YOU. 

All of us are operating at different levels of fitness, and so an active recovery for you, may not necessarily be an active recovery for someone else. It comes down to self-awareness, and understanding your own body.

Listen to your Body

Pay attention to how your body responds to different types of recovery. Some days you might benefit more from a light jog (active recovery), while other days you might need complete rest, followed by some light stretching. 

Gradual Exposure

Incorporate different levels of active recovery into your routine over time. Be sure to give yourself constant feedback to better understand which ones work best for you.

Don’t be Afraid to Over-do it or Under-do it

You won’t always be perfect, but you will always be learning what your limits are. Knowing this will allow you to make routine adjustments to achieve the best results - avoiding fatigue, or the feeling that you could have done more.

Don’t Forget to Prioritise Sleep and Nutrition

No amount of active recovery can compensate for inadequate sleep or poor nutrition. Make sure these fundamental aspects of passive recovery are always met.

Basically, it’s about using the right amount of active recovery, at the right times, in the right amounts…

… but also, getting adequate amounts of passive recovery to allow for the most adaptation across a broad training plan. 

“To develop a complete mind: Study the science of art; Study the art of science. Learn how to see. Realise that everything connects to everything else.”
- Leonardo Da Vinci

To paraphrase Mr Da Vinci’s words, there is an art to the science of recovery, and at the same time, there is science to the art of recovery. 

It requires introspection to learn how to see, and realise how interconnected both active and passive recovery are. 

By understanding and applying the principles of both active and passive recovery, you can optimise your training, reduce the risk of injury, and ultimately become a stronger and more resilient runner.

Yours in training and in life,

Daniel Lucchini

P.S. Hope that answers the question of active vs passive recovery, but if not, I’ll be happy to close any loose ends - just get in touch with me by clicking the link below.