Hitting a plateau? Looking for that extra push to give you an edge on your performance? Then let’s talk about recovery. A lot of people look to expensive supplements to improve their performance, but if you aren’t focusing on the basic ways to improve your recovery, you are missing out on so much benefit. After all the improvement of performance is about the aggregation of marginal gains. With that said let’s break down these aspects of recovery we should be taking advantage of.
Sleep, hands down the number one variable that holds people back. If you are going through a rigorous training regimen and you are not getting at least 7 hours of sleep you are missing out on a variety of benefits. When we are in deep sleep, growth hormone and a variety of tissue repair cells are released. Bottom line, less sleep=less progress. Secondly, what does a rest day for you look like? If you are taking the day to chill on the couch, you are doing yourself a disservice to the hard work you have been putting in at the gym. I want you to change rest to ACTIVE rest. This means going for a walk, doing mobility work, or stretching. Just get out and MOVE! Another commonly overlooked aspect of recovery is hydration. Depending on size, body weight, and activity level, the average person should drink between .5-1 gallon a day. Proper hydration is important for a variety of reasons. It helps regulate body temperature, lubricates joints, and improves transport of cellular nutrients. Stress can have a negative effect on our recovery and our performance, so a great way to mediate stress is through breathing exercises and guided meditations. There are a variety of different apps and youtube videos that have breathing exercises, my personal favorite is the Wim Hoff Method app. Great way to decompress after a long day, or a great way to start the day off on the right foot, and only takes a couple minutes.
Lastly, I wanted to talk about tart. There is some pretty interesting research that demonstrated athletes who supplemented tart cherry juice had lower inflammation levels and decreased delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after working out.
Now give these recovery tips a try and reap the benefits of a proper recovery. Recover today so you can train like there is no tomorrow.