What is active rest in cycling?
Active rest is one of the best ways to avoid injuries and maintain your physical condition.
Cycling is a sport that requires a great deal of physical and mental effort. That's why it's important to know how to properly rest to avoid the onset of injuries and ensure good performance in the next training session. In this article, we will talk about active rest in cycling, what it is, and how to do it correctly.
What is active rest in cycling?
Active rest is a way of resting without stopping riding a bike. It is a type of training that is usually very useful after a full day of high intensity or after a high-intensity but short-duration training session. In cycling jargon, it is known as "loosening the legs".
Active rest involves doing very gentle and short rides. The body is usually tired in these cases, but not exhausted, which means that the muscles will appreciate a gentle exercise after an aggressive one.
Why is active rest important in cycling?
Rest is a fundamental aspect of cycling, as it is necessary to assimilate the workload and avoid the onset of fatigue that reduces the cyclist's physical and mental condition. Without adequate rest, your body will not have enough time to recover, running a greater risk of suffering injuries or decreasing performance in the future.
If you want to increase your power on the bike, we recommend reading our latest article: 4 tips to improve your power on the bike.
How to do active rest in cycling?
Next, we explain how to do active rest in cycling correctly:
Prepare your bike
Before doing active rest, make sure your bike is in good condition and properly adjusted to avoid injuries and enjoy a comfortable experience.
Among the aspects to take into account are placing the saddle at the correct height, properly adjusting the helmet, charging your power meter, and filling your water bottles.
Take a gentle ride
Active recovery involves taking a gentle and relaxed bike ride. It's not necessary to pedal with force or maintain a fast pace. The idea is to move smoothly and enjoy the scenery.
Duration of the ride
The active recovery should be short, lasting about 30 minutes to a maximum of 1 hour. It's important not to overload the body during recovery to get all the benefits.
Here we explain what's better: short or long bike rides?
Best after an intense session
Active recovery is more effective after a short and high-intensity training session.
Listen to your body
Active recovery is a way to help the body recover, but it's important to pay attention to its signals to adjust the intensity and duration according to your physical needs.
Don't obsess over distance
Although the distance covered on an active recovery ride is important, the most important things are the intensity and duration.