Refresh, Restore, Re-Energise

Getting fitter isn’t just about working harder in the gym. It’s also about doing the right things when you’re out of it. Here’s how to maximise your rest day.

- Sara Angle

As hard as you might crush a workout, the real labour happens on the days you don’t sweat. “When you exercise, your muscles undergo microtrauma. Afterwards, what are known as satellite cells fuse with the damaged areas to repair the muscle fibres,” says Jessica Matthews, senior adviser for health and fitness education for the American Council on Exercise. But this process can happen only when you’re at rest. If you keep exercising, your muscles never get a chance to repair themselves, and your progress will plateau and eventually decline. So taking time off is essential. But if your usual rest day is a date with your couch, cancel those plans pronto, and use these expert tactics to strengthen your recovery.

DON’T TAKE REST SO LITERALLY