Fit and regenerated: The art of active recovery in summer

Why your body not only needs exercise, but also mindful breaks - and how to use them intelligently.

Anyone who trains regularly - whether on the trail, in the gym or on the yoga mat - knows the feeling: tired muscles, a mind that calls for more effort and a calendar that leaves hardly any room for breaks. But regeneration is not a sign of weakness. It is an essential part of your training plan - especially in summer, when heat, UV radiation and longer days place additional demands on the body.

Regeneration does not mean standing still. It means adaptation. Your body uses these phases to repair muscles, stabilise your immune system, replenish mental reserves - and to prepare for new stimuli. Without it, you're treading water, risking overtraining, low moods and injuries. And especially in summer, when you prefer to spend every free minute outside, it's tempting to ignore your body's signals.

The warm season is often associated with lightness, vitality and energy. However, it actually brings with it physiological challenges: high temperatures mean more strain on the cardiovascular system and thermoregulation, sleep suffers from heated nights and the need for fluids increases. If you ignore these factors, you run the risk of even well-intentioned training sessions turning into a boomerang.

Therefore, if you train in summer, you also need to regenerate in summer - smarter, more targeted and with the whole person in mind.

After training, the body is overheated and the circulation is in full swing. A conscious cool-down brings it back into balance. Light stretching in the shade, standing barefoot in the grass, a few minutes in cold water (river, lake, pool) - this is more than beneficial, it has a deep effect.

Tip: A 10-minute bath in 15-18 °C cool water can reduce inflammation and speed up muscle recovery - provided it is done at a distance from exercise and not directly after strength training.

Rest days do not have to be inactive. Gentle exercise - e.g. mobilising flows, walking in the morning or low-intensity cycling - keeps the joints supple, promotes blood circulation and has a positive effect on regeneration.

The most important source of regeneration is and remains sleep. If you sleep too little or restlessly at night, you sabotage your progress - hormonally, muscularly and mentally. In summer, this means darkening the bedroom, cooling down and maintaining routines. Ideally, the last training session of the day should be 2-3 hours before going to bed.

Your body builds from what you give it. In summer, light, nutrient-rich food is ideal: protein for cell building, healthy fats to regulate inflammation, complex carbohydrates for energy. Fresh vegetables, berries, fish, fermented foods and plenty of salt (yes, really!) should be on your plate now.

If you work hard, you need not only physical but also mental breaks. Meditation, reading, time in nature, digital detoxing - whatever works for you is allowed. Regeneration is also a psychological act: out of the performance corridor and into presence.

Athletes who stay fit for years have one thing in common: they treat recovery with the same seriousness as their training. Summer is an invitation to regenerate with more mindfulness, more body awareness and more quality.

After all, true fitness is not just the result of exertion. It comes from the interplay between stimulus and rest, action and perception.

Allow yourself the rhythm. And your body will pay you back - with strength, stamina and genuine enjoyment of movement.