No matter how well you’re training, you can only go so far without the correct recovery techniques. The methods in this story will help you come back much stronger after each workout.
Avoid overload
If you’ve ever experienced muscle soreness that sets in a day or two after training, you know what it feels like to push yourself. Such pain is the result of muscle overload, the process necessary for muscle to grow stronger.
Tweak your programme every two to three weeks
This will help you to shock your body into seeing new results, without getting overuse injuries. You should also mix up what you do by working on different body parts on consecutive days. So if you’re following a strength-training programme, focus on your upper body on day one and your lower body on day two. If you’re on a running programme, run on consecutive days but do a hard session one day followed by a gentler running session with greater focus on core and stretch training the next.
Remember to rest
Taking time off from exercise enables the muscle to repair, rebuild and grow. Without proper nutrition and rest, the opposite can occur – your muscles atrophy, or decrease, in size, strength and tone. It’s often recommended that you take one to two days’ complete rest each week. However, a training session that focuses on technique or core and balance can be as good, if not better, than a rest. Many athletes also include an ‘active recovery’ session in their training. During this, you work at 40 to 50 per cent of your maximum effort, which can help to disperse waste products that build up in the muscles and cause muscle soreness.
Massage
Sometimes stretching isn’t enough to break up all the knots and scar tissue that accumulate during training, which is when a sports massage can help. A good practitioner will not only help speed recovery, but can also help you to gain muscle balance by working on areas of your body that are particularly tight or overworked. Book massages for the day after a strenuous training day and then on a weekly or bi-monthly basis. Make sure your therapist is trained in sports massage and has undergone a course that requires a good amount of experience before qualifying.
Use compression and ice
After any hard training session, the body has to heal the micro trauma (tiny tears) in the muscles. Compression and ice aid this process by restricting blood vessels and reducing swelling. Compression clothing assists the body’s recovery by regulating temperature and increasing blood flow and nutrient supply to the muscles. It also prevents oscillation, the excessive movement through impact that can cause micro trauma to the muscles.
Eat sensibly
If you don’t eat effectively, you can’t train or recover effectively. Eat three small meals a day with two healthy snacks in between, and include protein and carbohydrates at every meal and snack. If you always do this, you can be sure you’re eating enough to sustain your workouts and your recovery.