Posted on April 27, 2016 by Jenny Cromack
We have previously talked about adaptations to training. As a quick recap, the gym is about breaking the body down and when you rest is when the repair and super-compensation occurs. In theory then if you can recover quicker, you can train more, and if you can train more, you can reach your goals quicker. Below are a series of recovery strategies you can employ to aid recovery, the most important are first, the least are at the end.
- Sleep – Nothing is better for recovery than sleep, make sure your getting a solid 8 hours a night, ideally this needs to be a solid block with no interruptions.
- Nutrition – Adequate good quality protein, good complex carbs and essential fats. Nutrition is often over complicated, keep it fresh and keep it simple.
- Light Exercise – Gentle steady state cardio increases blood flow and may assist the body in delivering nutrients to damaged tissues
- Massage and Stretching – Similar to light exercise, massage aids blood flow as well as breakdown poorly formed muscular fibres.
- Compression Garments –There has been some research to suggest that compression garments post workout aid recovery.
- Cold Water Exposure – there has been some evidence to suggest cold water may reduce inflammation, whether or not this is a positive response, as it may blunt the adaptation response is yet to be decided.
Out of these recovery strategies, make sure you prioritise sleep as a good night’s sleep is paramount to the recovery process following a workout.
The next time you’re a little sore after a workout, try one of a combination of these recovery strategies to help you get back into training more quickly and continue to smash those goals!