A Guide to Understanding Active Recovery and Its Role In Performance Optimization
A Guide to Understanding Active Recovery and Its Role In Performance Optimization
You’ve just wrapped up weekend after weekend of summer intensive auditions, an exhausting day of convention and competition, or a long afternoon of rehearsals- now what?
As dancers and artist-athletes, we can appreciate that our bodies are resilient. We consistently push the boundaries of human capability day after day, month after month, year after year. It’s crucial to give back as much, if not more, than we take from our bodies in order to continue to perform at our highest level.
The Definition of Recovery
Recovery can be thought of in terms of restoring physiological and neural balance after a bout of work that brings the body away from that balance. There are plenty of ways that this balance restoration can be achieved, from nutritional considerations, to sleep quality, to passive modalities like compression or cupping.
At DANCEPREHAB, we value the opportunities we have to keep moving, so we’ve outlined some options for what active recovery might look like.
Active Recovery Strategies
Recovery strategy may look different for every person, and that’s okay! The key concept to successful recovery is intention. Ask yourself: am I moving my body in a way that makes me feel refreshed, or am I moving in a way that makes me feel even more tired and overtrained?
Some options for recovery activities include bike riding, walking, or mobility circuits. Aim for 20-40 minute sessions, keeping your heart rate under 135 bpm. A quick and easy way to gauge intensity is by using Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). Recovery work should have an RPE of 2 or below.
These types of low intensity exercise are typically most effective both immediately following an intense workload and up to 24-48 hours after that intense workload.
Remember, all of these parameters are suggested guidelines. Adding more to our plates or creating new habits can be challenging, especially with demanding dance schedules. Start small if needed; it’s okay to not get it right 100% of the time. A short recovery session once per week is better than none at all. In fact, some current research suggests that 5-10 minute cool-down immediately after an intense workload might be all it takes!
Effects of Active Recovery
Perceived benefits of engaging in active recovery strategies include mood boosting, reducing sensation of muscle fatigue or delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and promotion of blood flow. Research is continuing to tease apart different possible physiological and psychological benefits on recovery status and athletic performance.
Takeaways
As mentioned, recovery looks different for everyone. The methods discussed here fall into just one of many categories to help promote artist-athlete wellness and performance. When considering what recovery means to the individual, we encourage you to explore the question “does the input match the output?” to help guide in the cultivation of well-rounded routines.
Sources:
Pacey, R. (2023). Optimizing athlete recovery and managing load effectively across multiple sports with Carmen Colomer. Pacey Performance Podcast.
Ortiz, Robert & Elder, Amanda & Elder, Craig & Dawes, Jay. (2018). A Systematic Review on the Effectiveness of Active Recovery Interventions on Athletic Performance of Professional-, Collegiate-, and Competitive-Level Adult Athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
BOVE, D. (2022). Quadrant system: Navigating stress in team sport. Athlete Framework.
Written by: Dr. Lizzy Rothstein, PT, DPT