Active Recovery: Doing The Minimum, For High Performance

When we think about improving any element of our work or personal life, our instrinctive reaction is often, "What can I do more of?"

How does it feel when someone tells you, you don't need to do more?

If you're like me, you may feel somewhat disappointed and then confused as to what next?

Doing, learning, practising etc are all key components of progress and so are rest, recovery and stillness, which most people overlook.

Arguably, the later are more challenging as we're constantly "on-the-go" and slowing down feels like less forward motion.

Spoiler: If we want to constantly improve, we need to recognise the opportune moments to push, pull and be still.

Marathon runners can't sprint an entire race.

Using driving as an analogy:

When driving at full acceleration, you can't take sharp corners.

Meanwhile, if you stay in second gear on a long journey, you'll wear out the clutch.

Active recovery is something like being at the petrol station; filling the tank and preparing for the next leg of the journey.

For the athlete, it's how they are maintaining themselves when they're not training.

Let's see how we can "do" active recovery as entrepreneurs and how to leverage the benefits in our work and life.

Active Recovery (AR): What It Isn't

Let's first clarify any misunderstandings. Here’s what active recovery isn't:

• Lounging on the Couch: Active recovery doesn’t mean hours on the couch, lying in bed all day or generally wasting time.

  
  

• Complete Inactivity: Unlike passive recovery, active recovery isn't about doing nothing at all. It requires low-intensity physical or mental activity to keep the body and mind moving.

  
  

• Pushing Your Limits: The goal is minimal levels of exertion.

  
  

• A Replacement for All Rest: While active recovery is beneficial, it complements, not replaces, the need for adequate rest and sleep.

  
  

• Just About the Body: Active recovery also keeps your mind in a state of readiness, unlike total inactivity, which may leave you feeling sluggish.

High Performers in all fields adopt active recovery in their routine

Benefits Active Recovery & How To Implement It

Let's review the benefits of this technique and how to actually implement it whether we're at work or home.

Mental Sharpness

We entrepreneurs are always looking for the edge and misalignments where we can bring solutions. We need our mind to make instant connections and see what others miss.

AR enhances mental acuity by relaxing the mind and losening focus, stimulating creativity.

Reduces Burnout

The entrepreneur cryptonite. Burnout is to be avoided at all costs and is often achieved with experience.

AR actively prevents burnout by its very nature.

Enhances Productivity

While seemingly counterintuitive, AR actually makes us more productive as we are able to return to the ring better prepared, with more energy and fresh perspectives.

Longevity

Prioritising rest and recovery helps us performs at our best, longer.

Cristiano Ronalo, Leo Messi, Serena Williams and many others, are able to continue performing at the highest levels "late" into their career because they have mastered AR.

Work - Life Harmony

AR gives us the opportunity to recalibrate our work and personal life.

By slowing down, we give ourselves a chance to reflect, breathe and dedicate to the areas of our life that sometimes get excluded.

Successful AR Practices

Activities that work for me whether I'm on vacation or on my days off:

• Reading (non-work related)

• Long walks

• Alone time

• Music

• Socialising

• Time in nature

• Early-morning rising & early sleep

• Light exercise (swimming, HIIT, light weights, yoga)

• Nutritious ("light" food)

• Meditation and deep breathing practices

• Tech detox (no screens)

• Caffeine detox

The biggest takeaway is that it's not about doing nothing at all but rather fueling your mind and body with what nourishes you, without exertion or force.

Are you willing to embrace AR to increase your performance levels and longevity?

Stefano