How can you take effective breaks to improve your Functional Training?

2 Vary your break types

Depending on your goals and preferences, there are various types of breaks you can take during your functional training sessions. Active rest, which involves doing a low-intensity activity such as walking or stretching, can help maintain your heart rate and reduce muscle fatigue. Passive rest, such as sitting or lying down, can lower your heart rate and blood pressure. Alternating rest, which involves switching between active and passive rest or different active rest activities, can provide the benefits of both types of rest while adding some variety to your breaks.

3 Listen to your body

When taking effective breaks during functional training sessions, the most important thing is to listen to your body and adjust accordingly. There is no one-size-fits-all formula for how long or how often you should take breaks. Your fitness level, type of exercise, and exercise intensity can all influence your break needs. For instance, if you are new to functional training or have a lower fitness level, you may need more frequent and longer breaks to avoid overexertion and injury. Conversely, if you are more experienced or have a higher fitness level, you may need less frequent and shorter breaks to maintain your intensity and challenge. Additionally, exercises that involve more muscles, joints, and planes of motion may require longer breaks than those that involve fewer muscles, joints, and planes of motion. Lastly, the harder you work during your exercise routine, the more energy and oxygen you will use up; thus requiring longer breaks to replenish your energy stores and clear out waste products from your muscles and blood. You can use the RPE scale or a heart rate monitor to gauge your exercise intensity and break needs.

4 Take recovery days

Taking breaks and recovery days during your functional training sessions is essential for your body to repair, rebuild, and adapt to the stress of functional training. Breaks can help you prevent overtraining, burnout, and injury, but they do not mean doing nothing. Instead, you should focus on activities that are different, easier, and less stressful than your functional training sessions. Restorative yoga is a type of yoga that focuses on gentle poses, breathing, and relaxation; foam rolling is a type of self-massage that uses a foam roller or similar device; and light cardio involves doing a low-intensity aerobic activity for 20 to 30 minutes. By taking effective breaks and recovery days, you can enhance your functional training performance and results while avoiding boredom, fatigue, and injury. Listen to your body, use the RPE scale, vary your break types, and take recovery days as needed.