Renew and Refresh: The Power of Restorative Fitness

Sometimes the best way to maintain your exercise routine is to take a rest from it—but not in the way you might think! One of the newest trends in health today is restorative fitness: classes dedicated to full-body recovery through stretching. 

Designed to relax the mind and help you de-stress, stretch-and-restore classes place a strong emphasis on the gentler aspects of an exercise program, with floor postures to stretch, open and release the entire body. These relaxing classes are recommended for people who do a lot of endurance, strength and high intensity training. It’s a practical solution for those working through injuries or burnout, as these types of classes help you recover from your other workouts. 

Both static and dynamic stretching provides positive benefits in terms of increasing your mobility and range of motion. "Anatomically, we all have our problem areas, and stretching can minimize pain and improve function," says Emerald Lin, M.D., a physiatrist and physician of physical medicine and rehabilitation at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery. Tight muscles can cause imbalance and pull the body out of alignment. Slowing down can help you avoid injury, reach new plateaus and avoid burnout or quitting an exercise routine altogether.

Restorative classes quiet your mind and can make you feel more grounded, as well as provide a number of physical benefits, like:
• Reduced muscle tension and fatigue
• Improved digestion
• Increased flexibility
• Improved muscle imbalances
• Reduced stress
• Lowered heart rate and blood pressure
• Boosted immune system
• Lessened or alleviated chronic pain

Consider adding a stretch class to your workout routine and reap the benefits. Jazzercise is introducing a new class format called Stretch Mixx, designed to ease tired muscles and better integrate the muscle work participants do in class. “While all Jazzercise classes include a small amount of stretching to ensure the safety and effectiveness of our workouts, Stretch Mixx gives us the unique opportunity to make restorative movement the sole purpose of the session,” according to Jazzercise training and development specialist Emily Newlands. “The specialized choreography was designed to not only increase mobility and prevent injury, but also to provide a relaxing 30-minute respite from our busy summer schedules.”

According to ClassPass, recovery classes are the fastest growing exercise trend with a 16% increase in the number of users taking restorative, recovery and meditation classes in 2017.

How do you rest and recover after a tough workout? Tell us below!