Four perfect gym machines to use on an active recovery day
Taking a day off doesn't mean sitting still: Cross gear, treadmills, indoor bikes, and rowing machines are great options for staying active while allowing your body to heal and recover.
Besides the actual workout, taking a break (or recovering) is an essential part of your workout regimen: not only is it during this time your body's muscles have healed—ready to come back stronger the next day—but it also helps prevent overtraining. It occurs as a result of excessive exercise and can be very harmful to health, causing injuries, insomnia, mood swings and even physical problems, such as hair loss, bloating, and digestive problems.
However, taking a day off does not necessarily mean not moving. An active rest day is basically a day when you step back from the intensity of your usual workouts, opting instead to do something less stressful on the body. This allows the body to remain active, but in a more calm manner, without causing too much physical stress.
So what type of exercise is appropriate for an active rest day? Here we've rounded up four machines that will gently work your body.
1. Oval Machine
A low-impact full-body workout that can make you sweat. The elliptical machine basically combines several movements into one, without putting much stress on the joints. Cross trainers are so gentle that they are often offered to train older adults or those recovering from an injury.
Elliptical machines can provide a light cardio workout that's still great for the heart and lungs, and aids in weight loss. The Technogym Elliptical Trainer can be folded, making it an ideal solution for home use.
2. treadmill
Don't think that running on the treadmill means hitting him with a jog or sprint. Light jogging can be a good way to stay active on a rest day. However, if you exceed this threshold, you risk doing a jogging that is too intense and harming your recovery rather than helping it.
The treadmill is also a great way to go for a brisk walk if you don't feel like going outside, or even climb up a hill—a great cardio exercise—that works your lower body, as well as your lower body; In order to maintain good form while climbing, the core muscles must remain tight.
If you want to change your speeds or go for an intermittent walk, a treadmill is your option. Try walking briskly for four minutes, then slow down and add incline for four minutes. Keep taking turns, playing on speeds and inclinations. Technogym MyRun comes with custom exercises, so the hard work is done for you. Your session can be adjusted to accommodate less intense workouts, perfect for an active recovery day!
3. Exercise bike
There's nothing like sitting still during a workout, and an exercise bike allows you to do just that. Cycling is a great way to exercise the cardiovascular system, as it helps tone and strengthen the lower body. Plus, it's a low-impact exercise that puts less stress on the joints, which is essential for an active recovery day as the body needs to heal.
To make your active recovery cycles more enjoyable, Technogym Cycle allows you to train almost anywhere in the world. Whether you want a landscape or an urban landscape, you can choose a path to follow on your screen and immerse yourself in another world!
4. rower
If you want to work out your entire body and give it an aerobic workout, a rowing machine is a great option. Plus, it's another low-impact solution. By simulating real rowing motions, you'll work out your legs, torso, shoulders, arms and chest muscles.
Skillrow from Technogym has an easy-to-use resistance dial, which allows you to select the level of resistance used while rowing. On the day of active recovery, we recommend reducing the resistance to facilitate the work of the body. In addition, this machine gives the impression of paddling on the water thanks to the Aquafeel technology.