Recording, Hey and welcome to this Fitbit tour of fitness podcast. In today's episode, I'm talking my top five strategies for your rest race, for your rest days and recovery. So before going into this topic, I just want to remind you that I'm not putting any ads on this episode, and the only way I'm promoting this is through you. So if you could please five star review and share this show as this is the only way how I get more people listen to this episode, and that is obviously my goal, that more people are getting this so getting this information available, and if you find it helpful, I would really appreciate you sharing or leaving a review for this show, so but for this, today's topic what we are going to talk little bit later. This is something, what I learned hard way in my 30s, when I was playing and I was always thinking that that more is better and and good workout, that you have to work out really hard, and more you can do. More exhausted, you are more progress, you are going to see. And that was during the time I was playing professionally ice hockey, and now as a coach, as a little bit more experienced, I don't say old but more experienced human beings. I can only say that how wrong I was at the time and and in this episode, I'm providing you five most beneficial strategies on your essays, as sometimes or often, more is not better when it comes to your workouts as as it's always, it depends little bit on how much experience you have, what is your background to what is the right amount. So, especially for a beginners who are just starting, like, two, three times per week is to kind of sweet spot where you have to be. to. get actually, the most beneficial outcome and most benefits of training. So if you are someone who is used to work out maybe five, six times a week. In this episode, you will learn strategies, how to improve it, and what kind of things you could be doing. So if you are obviously, if you are a professional athlete, there is also some nuggets, what you could be using in your in your work, in your workouts and recovery. So let's get into episode. So first of all, right, here often is that when you have a rest day, it means that you are basically doing nothing. And that is, I used to be that person too, that who had a rest day, it was on Sunday, on the couch, and not doing anything. And that was actually that is the probably the worst thing what you can do for your recovery, to do nothing, and especially in a days like, if you are very sore or something and you really feel your workouts, to do nothing. That is not the best possible strategy. And but like I said, these are all mistakes, I had to learn hard way, and I had to learn it through my own experience, but also from my from my clients. So what is the best way to recover? I I always loved this story when one of my coaches said, when I when we were we had a hard workout and and the next day we had to repeat it, and we had to work out again. And is it that the bonus is going away how it came? So it's kind of true, but there is a little bit nuance for it. So, so how worried what it means. So basically, the best tip to remove soreness is to stay active. So what is the, what is the best way? How, how it came like, obviously, I don't mean that you have to do a really hard workout, if you are sure, but staying active, like walking and some other low intensity cardio, that's, that's the, probably the best way. And what I mean with the low intensity cardio it, it's, if you think, what is your maximum heartbeat heart rate, it's around 60, 70% of your maximum heart rate. And if you don't know what it is, it's a very individual but in general, you can count it. It's 220 220 or 221 minus your eight. So I'm 42 so for me, it, technically it would be my heart rate would be somewhere around 170 580 but that is, that is, that is my maximum heart rate, and that would be, then 60 pros. And from that, or 70% from that, I would get it would be, my heart rate would be somewhere, like 110 115 but if I look my my heart rate, I have a my heart rate is very low. It have always been like, for example, I was under 18. We did a maximum heart rate test. And my maximum heart rate was around 175 and now I'm that's 25 years ago. So my maximum heart rate is somewhere I have a really hard workout. I barely get get it ever over 160 so if I start to count my 6070, pros and heart rate that that is then somewhere, like I'm I'm around 90, 9500 somewhere there. And that is my kind of heart rate, what I'm aiming for. And but that is like, if you don't know what is your maximum heart rate, it's a very good and general recommendation is, is 220 minus your age. So that is pretty close and and that is what your heart rate should be. So for me, for example, that heart rate is rapid test walking. So walking, it's it improves, still, your cardiovascular health, especially for my mental health, and you could be doing that if you are working in your lunch breaks or or simply test the normal test, like choosing stairs over elevators. So those are kind of simple things you could be doing. Then number two is probably exercising, but not like, in a way, like you think that if you go to gym or lift weights, that you should be lifting heavier weights. No, it's, it's basically just a body weight exercise. So it's, it's, those are in your rest days. It's, uh, it's if, especially if, your goal is to get stronger build muscle. It's, it's to send those signals, muscle building signals that your body knows what your body should be doing. Because obviously this is some topic like that. If you if your body more it gets those signals. It's, it's more effective, it will be muscle. And this is not that you are not going to like if, if your main workouts, you are close to failure in these body weight workouts, it's, it's, you don't need to go close to failure. It's just basically reminder for your body, what you are trying to do. And it's also what I like to use this kind of this. It's, for example, working with the full range of motion, meaning, like that you would be learning to improving your form, like doing body weight squats, if you use with the heavier rates, like, I'm I'm guilty of this doing too like, if I'm lifting weights, I'm not going as deep as I could go. If I do body weight exercises, I can go as deep as I can. So you are improving. And same thing with, for example, shoulder presses, bench presses, push ups, that you are doing this really with the maximum range of motion. So you get basically two benefits of doing it and other thing. What I why this body weight? Because I used to be a person who was always thinking that debate exercise is that it's not worth of doing it because it's not that hard, or it doesn't you don't feel like that. You have done a workout or anything. But there is, there is so many benefits. And if you start to implement this, you are, you are going to be surprised how much more progress goes. It's like I said, this is, for example, poor soreness. It's staying active doing this type of exercises. So if you did heavy squats day before next day you are doing, just the body weights, what you are. You might think that this doesn't mean anything, that I need to be lifting heavier weights, but opposite, through this totally opposite so just do 1015 minute workouts. It could be longer too, but I personally like to stick with around 1015, minute workouts for sending those muscle building signals to your body. Then Tip number three is something what I didn't even know when I was younger and and now I can't imagine to live without, and that is, that is a mobility workouts. So that is a, it's kind of related the body weight exercises. So body training is something where you are, what is especially older you are getting. It's the key to not have pain hackies And and issues with your joints or or overall, with your body. So this is how it's helping them. For example, in your exercises, greater that the range of motion is better. You are going to more progress. You are going to see less pain you have. And mobility therein is like I it depends on face, how I do it. Personally, I at this point, I don't take time for mobility workouts. Depending on exercise program I'm following. There might be periods or workout programs or phases that I take one special day for just for mobility exercises. But these are mobility exercises are something what I involve every single day or several times per week I can and good understanding that mobility training, you don't need to broke out for an hour just for mobility. That is a very long mobility training. But if you take, let's say, one to 10 minutes every single day for your working on your mobility that is, that is already a good workout, because for mobility, it's not about getting perfect workout in it's more what is. What matters more is that you are doing it consistently. So how I implement this mobility training at the moment, like when I, for example, at the moment, I'm lacking little bit time with my strength training, and I try to maintain maximum three times per week sort of workout session. So I include this into my warm ups, into my cooldowns and doing especially for those areas, I struggle with my mobility, like I personally have issues a little bit with my wrist mobility, with my solar mobility and my other hip. So those three areas where I'm focusing on and these were like kind of surprises for me to figure out where I'm, where I'm struggling. I wasn't even aware of my wrist injuries. Of course, I understood I I learned that there were some exercises that I had a wrist pain. I couldn't perform them as well as I could. And then when I did mobility tests, my sales tests, what I what I did, what I have created, like full mobility guide for my members in my balanced lifestyle blueprint, that's my membership program. And obviously those tools are available, of course, for my one on one clients too. But there, when I did those tests, I figured out that those are three areas I really need to work on, and now I'm trying to implement those exercises for my warm up school downs. And even if I have a longer rest time during the rest time, I might do one two mobility exercises. So there is a there is always that you don't need to dedicate a full workout for for mobility systems, but you can do them within your so and like I said, one two is a great mobility workout. And that I can't emphasize too much, how important is to get not to get to know if you are struggling, because there is something like that you it's very hard to know. If you are struggling, you might be having some let's say you have a lower back pain. Often that pain, or toes pain, there is often the problem is not in your knee or in your back, or you have lifted something wrong. Of course, that could be the reason too. But more often than not, I have seen the three. The real underlying issue is coming from somewhere else. For example, knee pain is often coming from lack of your mobility, lack of range of motion from your ankles. And the same thing if you have a lower back pain, the reason is not that you have lifted something wrong or you did something wrong, but it's underlying issue lacking range of motion or mobility from your hips. So these are things like that. If you do those self tests, like I put body in that by mobility guide, there is a seven different tests. So you are testing your neck, you are testing spine, hips, knees, ankles, even. So you have your you go through your whole body, you see where you are failing, where you feel discomfort during the exercise. And those are simple, simple to use. And then when you know that, okay, I'm struggling here, there is, that is my weakest, weak point. And then you have a correctional exercise. So when you start to implement those, you start to see actually amazing results, because it's, it's used to begin you know where you need to work post that is something like that, if you have no idea where you should be working on how you can't expect about going to see some results. And of course, it's helping them later on. Like, other option is that using those body weight exercises, like doing them with the full range of motion, like, let's say that you are doing a bench press or shoulder presses or squats, just with the lower weight, and really working through that range of motion. So this is also kind of mobility training when you when you are using lower weights, and really focusing on improving your form, improving your range of motion. So this is the other way, like that. You can kind of combine things on your rest days. So this is this tip number three, and then Tip number four is it's pretty obvious, but I used to underestimate that so much, and that is your sleep. So sleep is, of course, it's something like that. Most of us know that it's something what you should probably work on. But still, especially nowadays, I see that so many people are not prioritizing their sleep. And then you know you are wondering that why you are kind of folky throughout the day. You have a very low energy. And then, like you are, of course, then you are not, you are not recovering. It takes a lot longer, like especially older, if more you have to pay attention for these things. And as I was a young man, of course, there, you don't realize it so much, but now when you when you get into your 40s or something, then you start to realize that that sleep is actually probably the most beneficial thing what you can do for your overall health and and a recovery. So sleep is is basically for muscle growth, overall, well being and a recovery probably the single most beneficial tool, what you can use as that affects in so many different ways, like, for example, how is your, of course, energy levels? Because that is then, even it's directly, you can always survive one two days. But if it's anything longer than that, it's, it's you start to feel the difference. And of course, appears in your life like, especially if you are parent, you have a newborn, small children, it's, of course, you it's something. It's out of your control. You can't really control it, and you kind of kind of do the best you can to overcome these struggles. But if you have a possibility to prioritize your sleep, that is, that is going to be a game since you and this is what most people still want to hear, because there is you know you I hear so often that you know you are you are not. People are not willing to sacrifice their own or own time, like especially if you have a children or something, and they go to sleep, and then you know you want to watch Netflix or something, and then it's like that, you know you don't want to, you don't want to. You are okay sleeping five, six hours per night. But trust me, that is that is going to make such a big difference. And it's, it's just the birth of it to, at least to try it. And if you, let's say, improve your sleep for a month, and then if you rather watch Netflix or something, and you still, you don't want to, you don't like the way how it makes you feel, then go back. That is more important to have your own time, then go back for it, but try for a month and see what kind of impact it makes. And tips for sleep. Like I recently talked with the with the one woman who said that they have a huge problems to sleep like, of course, there is a concerns with her parents, health issues with her, with their children. So, of course, these are all stressed with the work. So these are, these are all real life examples. What is like that? I totally get it. But one thing really helps it is to put it away from your brain, brain before sleep. So so think it, if you go to, for example, you are going to, you are going to put it out somehow before you go to bed. So it's, it's processed before. So for example, if you have a sorrows, there is a basically two options, either you talk about it with someone that it's kind of addressed those issues, or then you journal it, so writing down, like, if it's if you have some sorrows. What? What sorrows you have? How they make you feel. Or, then you put journal it. Or then you just simply, simply trying to somehow get it away from your head low, if you are if you have a if work is causing stress, you have million things to do. Just writing your most what I love to use that I have a three most important tasks for the next day. I know them. I know what I'm going to do next day. And then there is, like a big list, what is, what is like that, what you should be doing, but it's not that important. And then those things, if I get done those most important tasks, and maybe then one, two, those what are also important, but not like that, you must do them right away, so when you know you have a clarity that you don't need to bring or think those things or go through those things during the night that is helping. And then other thing, what is, what has been a game changer for me, is to create that sleep routine and going to bed around same time every single day when it's as possible. Of course, if there's some social events, or I'm, I'm a ice hockey referee, I might have a late game I have to drive home. Of course, it's not going to be every single day at the same time, but if I have just the control over when I'm going to bed, it's going to be then later, around 10 o'clock every single day and and that usually I wake up without any alarm, ladies, at six. So so so that is, that is what have really worked for me. And I can only tell you to try it. Try it. If you don't believe me what I'm talking you are you don't want to hear it. There was often we don't want to hear these things, but, but try it. And then, you know, you can always make decisions. Other thing is, like, especially for people who are having trouble, to fail your sleep. I used to have this problem, too. But one thing what I learned from my podcast with sleep doctor Shelby Harris, it's, you can find it from my podcast, I recently republished that episode because I think that that was so amazing tips, what she gave. And one of those things is like that often we are bedtime routine, like, I think closing electronic devices and starting your bed routine and going to bed, maybe reading something or drinking some warm tea, or that kind of tips, what I'm sure you have heard. But what was really eye opening for me, and what really worked was focusing on your morning, and that morning, it means that you are basically getting some light early in the day, like, ideally it's going to be sunlight. And now we are, at least here in Italy. We have, we don't have that early that sunlight, so even some light with what is not natural, but with some red light or or bright light, when you get that light exposure early in the day, it makes you your body awake, and it also, like earlier you do it, then later on, get tired, because then it's a signal also for your body that now it's it's time to sleep and Time to rest. So you are often getting more tired later on and failing to sleep easier. So this is, this is sleep. It's, it's improve your workouts. You are was, I'm sure, if you have worked out, you know the difference? If you have a had a good night of sleep, or you haven't slept so well, what is the difference, how much more you can do when you are recovered and you have had a good night of sleep? And of course, it affects also, it reduces risky, risks of injury and and those, those kind of things. So sleep is probably the single most beneficial thing what you can do. And then last but not least, strategy for your rest days. And this my thing like that, if you, if you, if you, you are dedicating one day of for your nutrition. And this tip is, is such a great tip? What I what I think that if you, if you think that you have a you have dedicated one hour or whatever for your workout, and now, often, what I see that people you, you are getting so much more results if you are just taking that one hour and working out a bit less, and taking that hour to plan and prepare your nutrition. So when you when you are, of course, nutrition is, I'm not going to tell now or talk about, like, what to eat and when to eat and something, but if you what I say that so many people are struggling that you know life is getting busy. Then you know, when you don't have lot of time to cook, you don't have lot of energy to cook, you start to you are eating something. What is like, quickly available. And if you are not, if you haven't planned, you haven't prepared, those choices what you are going to make, they are not going to be the most ideal. But if you dedicate that one hour like tips, what I love to use is that eater like you don't need to plan whole week ahead what you are going to eat. But for example, what, what most people are struggling, for example, getting their vegetables, getting their protein sources, getting their fiber sources. So, for example, for sources, just pre cooking them. So for example, if you, let's say that you wanna, you enjoy eating chicken, you could be cooking your chicken already on that dedicated hour, and then store it in your fridge. So, so then when you know that, okay, Monday, I'm going to have chicken with some pasta. Then Tuesday, it's going to be chicken. I'm gonna make some bread or something. And so you can use the same protein source in a different with different seasoning, and then you have already, like, it's not that you have to eat same foods, but when you have planned your protein sources or other strategies like like, this way that you look ahead your next day, which what are going to be your protein sources? For example, breakfast. If you have similar breakfast, I use my example, my breakfast is or protein sources for my breakfast every single day, the same I have a school protein powder, and that's 250 grams of great you put so that is that they I know that I'm going to get 50 grams of protein for my breakfast. So those are my protein sources for my breakfast. Then what is going to be my protein source for lunch? If it's like, let's use again. It's a chicken I want to get, I to hit my protein goal, which is 150 grams, I would need to get 3040, grams. And I know that that chicken has around 2324 grams per 100 grams. So 550 grams for my to hit my protein goal. And then the same thing for dinner, whatever is my going to be my source, and then how much I need to have it, and then this way it's it gets so much easier, then you can start to build everything else around that protest. Or so at least, think that if I don't know if it's a kind of decision that I need to I haven't planned it, I always tend to think, or to think what is going to be my protein source, and if I don't have any, or if there's not enough, then the first question is always that, can I be eating more what I'm already eating? And if the answer is that no, I feel like that I can't eat more. It's already too much, then I'm next question is that, what else I could be adding? Could I be adding some cottage seeds or or whatever I enjoy eating. So this is, this is planning your nutrition, because that is, that is, that is that helps how many or energy levels support your muscle repair, and it's preventing that temptation of less healthy food services. So if you get your protein, if you get your fiber in, it's more likely that you are having you are feeling fuller. You are less tempted to have some sugar cravings and and this is nutrition. It's just it plays such a huge part with the recovery and these, these hopefully are helpful and beneficial. So I highly recommend to try these things and dedicate one day of week your workout time, workout less, and use the time for planning and preparing your nutrition vegetables you could be if you cut them, wash them, you know, one day you can they. You can store them for the next day. So then everything is ready. You just basically need to eat them. So this my top five tips, and just quickly going through recap what we thought like dips were. Number one, was walking and staying active. Number two, body weight exercises and working on your form, trying to improve, going full rates of motion with lighter weights where you don't feel exhausted, and avoiding basically all kind of high intensity of number three, most mobility. Workout. So going, going, dedicating, either warm ups, you could be combining them with your body weight workouts or or even during the rest time and stick. Number four was sleep, improving your sleep, making sure that you sleep at least seven hours per night. And number five was to plan and take, dedicate one hour or one workout less and dedicate for your energy. So hopefully these tips were helpful, and if they were and you think that somebody else would benefit from this episode, if you could share this episode and leave five star review in iTunes or Spotify, and if there's anything in my balanced lifestyle blueprint, it's my membership coaching program. You have access on everything, on your mobility workouts, you have a workouts for either home gym so you know exactly what to do. VR, group together, hanging out, having accountability group, so you are actually also doing these things, what you know, what you are doing, and that you are not alone if you see that you are going through some busy period of life, so that that is, I have a seven day free trial so you can try it, test it out, and if you don't enjoy it, if you don't absolutely love it, you can cancel it anytime, and you can honestly even keep my all mobility guides, all my cooking books, all bonus is what you get, and nothing flows. So I put linked show notes, and I hope you give a shot. Try it, and if you don't absolutely love it, you have nothing to lose. So thank you for listening to you. Soon you