The importance of rest and recovery

Words: Dr David Schary

Rowing requires physical strength and endurance. Rowers train hard, working to shave fractions of a second off their splits in each workout. The physical demands are intense, engaging all major muscle groups and pushing cardiovascular limits. This causes pain, requiring considerable mental toughness and intrinsic motivation to push through workouts and races.

Amidst the constant pursuit of improvement and faster times, the importance of adequate rest and recovery can get overshadowed. The demanding nature of training breaks down the body and exhausts the mind, but both need sufficient time to rejuvenate so they can come back stronger. Many rowers, however, cut their recovery short, unintentionally hindering their own potential for growth and development.

Various factors contribute to the oversight of rest and recovery. For example, the mantra of “no pain, no gain” can be taken too far. While pain is an unescapable part of rowing, pushing through all pain without question undermines the essential role of recovery.