Inadequate sleep leads to mental and physical stress and results in poor athletic performance and an increase in injuries. The amount of sleep needed depends on gender, age, and level of activity, but continuous, restful sleep is important for competitive concentration and energy.

Different from sleep, relaxation/downtime means putting your feet up, reading, watching a movie, surfing the Internet, listening to music, or sitting on a beach; it requires minimal energy and movement. Relaxation is a chance to refocus, think, plan, and dream about your next workout or competition, catch up on your training journal, and remove your thoughts from the frantic pace of race day or practice.

Hydration is vital to the active lifestyle, whether through fluid replacement or eating water-rich foods. Water brings nutrition to cells, flushes waste, enables proper organ function, and prevents dehydration. A lack of fluids results in dizziness, mental confusion, low blood pressure, and weakness.

A good stretching program is not about burning calories; rather, it’s about preparing the body for the next workout. Active people stretch before a workout to increase blood flow, raise body temperature, and ready “cold” muscles for movement to prevent injuries. Stretching after a workout or during your workout recovery time maintains flexibility and joint health and decreases post-workout muscle soreness.

It’s fine to include some light exercise in your recovery day. Consider something fun, non-impact and different from your normal training routine: walk around the mall or in your local park, splash in the pool with the kids, hike a nearby nature trail, plant flowers or vegetable seedlings, or take a yoga class for beginners. The point is not to break a sweat or risk injury but to avoid muscle soreness, stiffness, and that “I feel lazy” mindset.

An active lifestyle requires good nutrition all the time, but especially during recovery. Don’t avoid carbohydrates; begin replenishment two hours after exercise and choose the most nutrient-dense, high-fiber varieties: nuts, seeds, beans and whole grain breads and cereals. Choose nutrient-dense proteins, fruits, and vegetables for maximum recovery benefit consider eggs, low-fat or nonfat dairy, dark leafy greens, brightly colored produce (cantaloupe, berries, broccoli, sweet potatoes, bananas, carrots, bell peppers) and dark, oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, fresh tuna).