4 gym tools that are ideal to use on an active recovery day

Taking a rest day doesn’t have to mean no movement: cross trainers, treadmills, indoor bikes and rowers are great options to stay active while allowing your body to heal and recover

Besides the actual exercising part, also taking a rest day (or recovery day) is a pivotal part of an exercise regime: not only is it during this time that the muscles in the body heal – ready to come back stronger the next day – but it also helps prevent overtraining. This occurs from too much exercise with no pause, and it can be extremely detrimental to health, causing injury, sleeplessness, mood swings and even physical problems like hair loss, bloating and digestive issues.

However, a rest day doesn’t have to mean no movement. An active rest day is essentially a day where you step back from the intensity of your usual workouts, choosing instead to do something far less strenuous on the body. This allows the body to stay active, but in a calmer way, without causing too much physical stress.

So, what type of exercise is good on an active rest day? Here, we’ve rounded up four machines that can still provide your body with a gentle workout.

1. Elliptical Machine  

A low impact, full-body workout, that can still cause you to break a sweat. The elliptical machine essentially combines various movements into one, without placing stress on the joints. Cross trainers are so gentle that they’re often suggested for the training of old people or for those who are recovering from an injury.

Elliptical machines can offer a mild cardio workout which is still great for the heart and lungs, and which helps losing weight. Technogym Elliptical is compact and it can actually be folded away, making of it a perfect option for at-home use, too.

2. Treadmill

Don’t assume that going on the treadmill means pounding it hard with an intense run or sprint. A gentle jog may be a good way to stay active on a rest day. Nevertheless, anything more than that can start to become a little intense and could hinder rather than help with your workout recovery.

The treadmill is also a great way to fit in a brisk walk if you don’t fancy heading outside, or even a hill climb – a great cardio exercise – which works the lower body as well as the core; in order to maintain good form while hill climbing, the muscles in the core need to stay contracted.

If you fancy mixing up your speeds or going for an interval walk, the treadmill is your choice. Try walking fast for four minutes, then pulling the speed back and adding an incline for the next four. Keep alternating, playing with speeds and inclines. Technogym MyRun comes with tailored training sessions, so the hard work is done for you. Your session can be adapted to suit a lower intensity workout, perfect for an active recovery day!

3. Exercise Bike

Nothing beats sitting down whilst also exercising, and the exercise bike allows you to do just this. Cycling is a great way to work the cardiovascular system, plus it helps tone and strengthen the lower body. Added to this, it is a lower impact workout, placing 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 anywhere in the world, virtually. Whether you want a natural or an urban landscape, you can choose a track to follow on your screen and immerse yourself in another world!

4. Rowing Machine

If you want to work the whole body, and give your body an aerobic workout, then the rower is a great option. Plus, it’s another low impact option. Mimicking actual rowing movements, you’ll keep your legs, core, shoulders, arms and pectoral muscles active.

Technogym Skillrow has an easy-to-use resistance dial, so you can select the level of resistance used during your row. On an active recovery day, we recommend lowering the resistance to make it easier on the body. Plus, this machine feels like you're rowing on water thanks to Aquafeel technology.