Alex Issa – @AlexIssaFitness
There is an old phrase in the fitness world, “no pain, no gain.” We always want to push our body, so we can become better and healthier. However, there is a point where you must listen to body. Your body may be begging you for rest. If you ignore your body, there is a strong chance that you will get hurt.
After a tough workout or training session, it is normal for the muscles to feel sore or fatigued. This is when we must listen to our body and see what kind of recovery is needed. There have been multiple occasions where I thought I was just sore and pushed my body harder than it could handle. The result of me continuing to push the limit was getting injured and not being able to train for a while. That is why it is so critical to plan de-load weeks into your training cycles. If you are feeling drained and exhausted, but your de-load is not for another few weeks, screw the next few weeks and take the de-load. It is better to be safe than sorry.
I will go over a few different ways of recovery that you can do for your body. Remember, everyone is different. Some treatments may work different for other people. You just have to figure out what works best for you!
Active Recovery: active recovery is light exercise during the recovery phase. A lot of people do this to stay active and keep blood flow moving. Different ways of active recovery are swimming, jogging, bike rides, etc. Key thing to remember is that this is not a high intensity type of exercise.
Hydration: drinking water helps push the toxins out of the body and keep you hydrated. If the body is dehydrated, your sore muscles will feel more painful than usual.
Massage: There are a few different kinds of massages: deep, Swedish, sports, and trigger point to name a few. Getting a massage can help with muscle strains, sport injuries, increase range of motion, and decrease anxiety. There are also vibration massage devices that you can purchase as well.
Cryotherapy: cryotherapy is another word for cold therapy. Cryotherapy is used to help decrease inflammation. It can also burn calories (about 500-800) and boost collagen.
Sleep: never forget the importance is adequate rest and sleep. Your body NEEDS sleep for proper recovery and growth.
Post-Workout Nutrition: after a workout, it is important to give the body proper protein (for protein synthesis) and carbohydrates (for replacing muscle glycogen). The best time to feed your body is as soon as after the workout to two hours.
These are just a few tips to aid the recovery process. The biggest thing is to always listen to your body and you will know what kind of recovery aid you will need!
For more articles like this, click here!
