In the culture of endurance sport, there’s often an unconscious push to grind harder, rest less, and wear fatigue as a badge of honor. But at YogiTriathlete, we see things differently—especially when it comes to swimming. We believe rest is not just necessary; it’s strategic. And when you start taking more of it between intervals in the pool, you may be surprised at what you unlock: flow, connection, and real speed.

Yes, more rest.

Because pushing through every set at threshold effort with minimal recovery doesn’t always translate to better fitness. More often, it leads to practicing poor form under stress, reinforcing fatigue rather than finesse. But when you give yourself permission to rest longer between efforts—just 20 to 30 seconds more than you think you need—you tap into something powerful: the parasympathetic nervous system.

Rest Is Where Strength Rises

This is the rest-and-digest state. The nervous system’s calming side. It’s where the heart rate settles, the breath slows, and the mind clears. It’s in this state that we create space for our body to reset and our technique to resurface. It’s where strength has a chance to reveal itself, not through force, but through feel.

This is not just physical training—it’s nervous system training. And it’s essential if we want to swim with clarity, confidence, and control. That’s the YogiTriathlete way.

Yoga on the Pool Deck

In yoga, we honor the transitions. The stillness between movements. The space between the breaths. That’s where presence lives. That’s where the magic happens.

So why would swimming be any different?

Taking extra rest between intervals is like holding a moment of stillness between asanas. It allows you to settle, reconnect to your intention, and bring calm into your next effort. And from calm comes power.

Your stroke becomes smoother. Your awareness sharpens. You descend your 100s with precision—not from brute strength, but from alignment. You begin to feel race pace, rather than chase it. That’s where the gains live. Not in the grind, but in the balance.

How to Practice This

Here’s a simple way to bring this into your training:

• Instead of rushing through tight send-offs, slow down the cycle.

• Give yourself 30–40 seconds between repeats.

• Practice descending sets where you build speed from calm, not chaos.

• Observe the shifts in your mind and body as recovery expands.

This practice is especially powerful for the aging athlete, the injury-prone athlete, or the athlete ready to rise into new levels of performance with patience and wisdom.

Final Thought

Training is not about who suffers the most—it’s about who adapts the best. And adaptation needs space. It needs recovery. It needs presence.

So let’s rethink the idea that more work equals better results. At YogiTriathlete, we believe in quality over quantity. Presence over pressure. Awareness over autopilot. And when it comes to swimming, we believe that sometimes, the best way to get faster—is to rest more.

Breathe. Settle. Shine.