Experts usually discuss "recovery" in relation to heavy lifting. There is good reason for that. An hour of heavy weights (powerlifts) with up to 80% of max gives your body a beating. That is the purpose. Even the youth should not do that daily, but dedicated lifters and body-builders know what they can do and they are not my audience.
We have to bear in mind that Powerlifts/Compound exertions stress most of the body. For example, Deadlifts are not just legs. They engage everything from your neck to the ankles. It can make sense to divide up heavy days into Legs, Upper Body, and Core - but none of those are singular.
So let's go through various things that regular people do to stay fit and functional, and recovery,
- Long walks, hill and mountain hiking (eg 10 miles, more or less). Assuming decent fitness, the only recovery such recreational activities require is cold beer, a good meal, and a good sleep. Such things can be daily, if you have the time (which is usually on trips).
- Jogging: No recovery needed. Same for swimming laps and biking. Re distance (5++ mile) road running: It's a bad idea unless it is once in a while. Not good, long-term, for joints. However, orthopedic surgeons need their vacations and cars...
- Calisthenics. We Maggie's people are big believers in calisthenics (same as the military) and have posted endlessly about their role in fitness and general athleticism. In fact, I have offered the view that 50-60 minutes daily of calisthenics is great for maintaining conditioning and general fitness without anything else other than recreational activity. Done with intensity, it covers HIIT Cardio and makes every muscle work. "Toning", but no real strength-building in 1 hr/day. Calisthenics should require no more recovery than at the above paragraphs unless in poor condition.
- Powerlifts and accessory difficult muscle exercises. These are designed for strength-building, which means some longer fatigue and some muscle damage. It is the repair of the minor muscle injury that builds strength. Without some extreme muscle stress it is just maintenance. Nothing wrong with maintenance though, especially for the over 65- 80 crowd, but most people seek improvement. For regular people, two days away from heavy makes sense. That does not mean 2 days of inactivity, just 2 days without heavy. Cardio or calis can count as good "active recovery."
