Recovery time is essential for maintaining peak performance levels in elite athletes.

Overtraining can occur when athletes spend too much time training and competing and not enough time regenerating. This can lead to fatigue, declining performance, mood changes, emotional instability and decreased motivation.

Athletes aren't the only ones who benefit from recovery time. Mere mortals can also benefit from taking regular time out from normal work activities.

Unfortunately, this is easier said than done in the modern business world where constant connectivity, via email and mobile phones, is eating away at our leisure time and inhibiting our ability to "switch-off". According to a recent Australian Bureau of Statistics survey Australians are spending less time on recreational and leisure activities and more time on paid and unpaid work than we were ten years ago.

While digitalisation has created a more flexible and mobile workplace, it is blurring the boundaries between work and personal life.

Half of the employed respondents to a joint Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association and Australian Research Council (AMTA/ARC) study "The impact of the mobile phone on work/life balance" believe the mobile phone has increased their workload.

The same study found that less than one fifth of respondents turned off their phone during leisure activities and 59 percent of managers took their phone away on holiday to conduct business.

Taking back control

While taking regular bouts of time away from work won't turn you into a marathon runner, it can improve your productivity and performance and regenerate energy levels. Not only that, it can benefit your health, psychological and social wellbeing.

Don't worry you don't need to run off and book yourself into a health retreat. The activities below are simple ways of incorporating recovery time into your daily life.

Get moving

The Australian National Physical Activity Guidelines recommend 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day to maintain good health. The good news is you don't have to do it all at once - three ten minutes sessions per day are just as effective.

According to the Australian Institute of Health & Welfare moderate regular physical activity can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and protect against some forms of cancer, reduce likelihood of osteoporosis and improve mental wellbeing. It can also relieve some of the burden of disease and injury in Australia. Physical inactivity is the second largest contributor to the burden of disease and injury in Australia after smoking, so getting active can benefit society as a whole.

Energise yourself

Work out what energises you most and make it part of your daily work routine. This could be as simple as going for a walk, listening to music, meditating, sitting down to eat or talking to a friend.

Plan your leave

Some business people argue they don't have time for holidays. Try and block out your annual leave in your diary at the beginning of the year and stick to it. If leaving your business for extended periods is not possible, block out a series of mini-breaks.

Leave work at work

Try and leave work "on-time" once or twice a week. Make guidelines for your accessibility outside of work hours and communicate them to your staff.

If you do need to take work home, try and limit it to a set time. You will probably find that nine times out of ten, issues that appeared urgent can wait until the next business day.

Don't forget to turn off your mobile during your allocated "recovery time".

Learn to relax

Regular practice of relaxation activities can help lower stress levels, improve concentration and benefit physical health. Relaxation activities are varied and can include meditation, yoga, tai chi and breathing techniques. Meditation, for example, alters brain activity and heightens the release of alpha waves that lower blood pressure, heart rate, metabolism and the release of stress hormones.

Don't become a victim of overtraining syndrome, book some recovery time in your diary or electronic calendar today.

Useful links

The Department of Health & Ageing website publishes the Australian National Activity Guidelines and other resources.
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/Home

The Australian Institute of Health & Welfare publishes a variety of health and welfare statistics and information.
http://www.aihw.gov.au/