Beneficios de la recuperación activa en el entrenamiento

The benefits of active recovery in training

Compared to complete rest, active recovery offers physiological benefits that improve muscular oxygenation, reduce inflammation and shorten the recovery time.

BY Marta Burgués | 06 October 2025

For people who train regularly, be they elite athletes or fitness-lovers, rest days usually generate ambivalent feelings. On the one hand, the body needs to heal and stop; and on the other hand, there is the worry that not exercising means losing the physical fitness that has been hard to achieve. Here is where a revolutionary concept comes into play, which has changed the way of understanding resting: active recovery. Far from being a contradiction, this practice has been consolidated as the key to progressing in a more intelligent, efficient and sustainable way in the training process.

Contrary to popular belief, resting does not mean complete immobility. Active recovery consists of carrying out physical activities with a very low intensity and impact during the days when tough training is not been performed. The aim is to not add more stress to the organism, but just the opposite: to stimulate the blood flow to aid muscle repair, reduce the feeling of fatigue and shorten the recovery times. It is the perfect bridge that allows the body to repair itself whilst maintaining mobility.

 

The efficiency of active recovery

The science behind active recovery establishes that, after a training session, the muscles accumulate waste metabolites, such as lactate, and they suffer from fibrillar microfractures, which are responsible for delayed onset muscle soreness (muscle ache).

Complete rest allows the body to repair itself, but in a slower way. When carrying out gentle movement, it promotes the blood flow, which acts as a distribution and waste collection service: it takes nutrients and fresh oxygen to the damaged muscles and it carries away the waste products for their elimination. This process significantly accelerates the tissue reconstruction; it decreases inflammation and alleviates the stiffness.

With active recovery, the benefits are not only physical, but also mental. Remaining active in a gentle way releases endorphins, the well-being hormones, which improve the mood and fight the feeling of stagnation or frustration that often accompanies days with forced inactivity. Integrating active recovery in the routine is, basically, learning to listen to your body and respond by giving it just what it needs.

Habits for incorporating active recovery to your routine

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