The definition of recovery is to return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength. Many times, throughout our health and fitness journey, our focus is on working out and eating better. Our recovery is important as well. When we workout, our muscles are being torn and then they repair themselves.
Rest and recovery are a crucial part of any exercise program. After putting your body through a significant amount of stress during a grueling workout, you must give it time to recover, repair, and ultimately, come back stronger. Everyone has their own way to recover whether it is extra sleep, stretching, foam rolling, or massages.
Foam Rolling and Stretching
Personally, I can do more of these. I can run 10-15 miles on a Saturday morning, come home and drink my chocolate recovery drink, eat something to refuel, and go straight to the couch to rest my legs. What I should be doing is at least a 15-minute foam rolling session to breakdown all the stress that I just put my legs through. The same goes for stretching. Sometimes I get done with an intense workout and the last thing I want to do is stretch. Instead of being fatigued and immediately going to take a shower, I should be stretching the muscles that I just worked. Tear and repair. It is especially important to stretch after a workout because you do not want to injure yourself.
Massages
Do you get them? There are many benefits to receiving a monthly massage. This is one area that I do not lack in. I get massages faithfully because I know the wonders they do on my body. They can reduce stress, improve your circulation, improve sleep, improve flexibility, eliminate toxins from your body, and so much more. I get massages monthly and when I tell you that there is no other feeling of relaxation. Not only are they relaxing, but it is also like all your stress and tenseness is being removed from your body. I would
suggest adding massage to your monthly or quarterly self-care routine.
Sleep
Something we all could use more of. I am one who notices when I have had a good night’s sleep. I wake up feeling like I can conquer the world. On the other hand, if I did not sleep well, I wake up groggy, in a bad mood, and my body aches. Our bodies regulate sleep in much the same way that they regulate eating, drinking, and breathing. This suggests that sleep serves a similar critical role in our health and well-being. Some of the benefits of us getting good sleep are improves memory, feel more alert, reduces stress, aids in weight
loss, and reduces inflammation. I also like to rub a little lavender oil on my chest to help with naturally falling and staying asleep. I also do this for my boys.
Building recovery time into any training program is important because this is the time that the body adapts to the stress of exercise and the real training effect takes place. Recovery also allows the body to replenish energy stores and repair damaged tissues. So, which of these habits can you start incorporating into your health and fitness routine to help you recover better?
