High school athletes should take 1-2 rest days per week and treat them as seriously as training. Recovery has four pillars: nutrition with enough protein and calories, hydration with electrolytes, 8-10 hours of sleep nightly, and active muscle care like stretching and foam-rolling instead of just sitting around.
How many rest days does an athlete actually need to take? I'm gonna break down the 4 pillars of recovery to answer the question. It honestly depends. Depends on how fast you recover, what type of training you're doing, how old you are. But if I had to put a blanket statement over it, I would say high school athletes need at least 1 to 2 rest days per week. Now on those rest days you're taking, you need to prioritize them just like you would a training day. So the 4 pillars of recovery that I have is number 1, nutrition. We need to fuel with enough protein, carbs, fats, and total calories to support recovery and growth. Number 2 is hydration. We need to be drinking enough water and electrolytes post-workout and on off days to make sure that your body's recovering appropriately. Number 3 is sleep. Make sure that you're getting at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep. That is the sleep of champions. Sleep is the number 1 place where your body repairs itself the most. And then number 4 is muscle care. Go on walks, stretch, use heat, roll out. Be intentional about that recovery instead of just sitting on the couch all day.
