All types of training puts the body and its systems under physiological stress.
Incorporating rest and recovery allows your body to adapt and cope with this stress, resulting in your body becoming fitter, stronger and healthier. You can then push yourself to the next level.
Take a look at our top tips for optimum recovery :
Rest days and deload weeks
Rest days will help limit fatigue, allowing you to feel fresh and give more in every training session.
Include a ‘deload’ training week, which is reduced in volume (total number of sessions), once every 4-6 weeks, allowing your body and mind to recover from the continual stress of regular training.
Sleep
The most important time for your body to rest and recover is when you are sleeping. If we do not allow ourselves adequate sleep time, we reduce our capacity to recover and adapt. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep a night for optimum recovery.
Nutrition & Hydration
The body’s energy stores need to be topped up after exercise. It is also important to maintain these stores throughout your training regime.
Eat regularly and include a variety of fruits and vegetables, and limit processed foods and those that are high in sugar. Reducing your alcohol consumption and drinking plenty of water (aim for 2.5 litres a day), are great ways to stay healthy.
Body & Tissue Maintenance
Active rest low-intensity activities, such as walking or stretch/mobility training, can promote muscle relaxation, oxygen delivery, and the removal of waste products from the tissues.
Massage helps with recovery by relaxing muscles and helping deliver oxygen and nutrients while also removing waste products. Massage also improves your mood, making you feel more relaxed and rested.
Passive rest will improve your mood and psychological fatigue as it allows you to ‘switch off’. Allow yourself time to read a book or listen to music.
Ensuring you allow your body to recover is a vital part of any workout program. Incorporating our top tips into your exercise regime will help you progress towards optimum fitness and health.