The importance of recovery, a subject people overlook or try to brave with & risk it. Giving yourself enough time to recover will prevent you from gaining injuries. Often times, injuries are occurred during the recovery period as people tend to mistake feeling ok for being able to dive straight back into intense training. Recovery doesn’t have to mean sitting on the couch all day, it can be an active rest day where you still get some movement & steps in but at a very low intensity like a gentle walk, some mobility & stretch work or foam rolling.
By giving your body the adequate recovery time, your allowing it a chance to adapt to the stress it has been put under through training. The recovery period allows your muscles & tissues to repair, replenish its glycogen (energy) stores & heal. Not allowing your body to do so may result in compromised performance, soreness & injuries.
Taking the time off that your body deserves, not only gives your body a chance to recharge & recover, but also allows your mind to reset too. This shows significant improvement in upcoming training.
Not allowing your muscles time to repair between workouts & after any major events such as long runs, competitions, games, fights etc, you are putting yourself in a position to get injured. Repeated stress on muscles causes small tears in them called microtears which lead to your muscles feeling sore & inflamed. The rest & recovery period is what allows the muscles to grow resulting in them getting stronger.
How can I help my recovery?
- Nutrition
- Hydration
- Sleep
- Massage
- Cupping
- Foam rolling
- Stretching
- Compression
- Hot & cold therapy
- Active rest day
