One reason that stops us from training can be the muscle soreness you experience from the previous days WOD. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to train hard and feel your muscles after a great workout, but being smart about recovery is a must, as feeling ‘crippled’ from the previous days workout is not ideal. Here are 5 tips to help you get the most out of your recovery so we can see your smiley face more often.
1) Always cool down after your workout. Stay after class and jump on a rower or go for a run/jog to flush your legs and arms. Bring your heart rate back down form soaring heights slowly and talk to a Coach about the appropriate stretching routine.
2) Fuel and refuel appropriately. Eating a small pre-workout meal 1-2 hours before a WOD and a postworkout meal/shake containing carbs/protein/fat will help reduce the stress your body experiences during a workout and supply your body with the adequate nutritents to repair itself from training.
3) Stay hydrated. Make sure you are drinking enough water during the day. A good gauge can be a glass of water every 1 to 1&1/2 hours. Staying hydrated will help reduce swelling and muscle soreness.
4) Find a stretching / mobility routine for home. This can be as simple as spending 10-20min to start with on a foam roller or lacrosse ball, or even easier using a program like ROMWOD (www.romwod.com) where you are taken through a daily routine. Ask a Coach if you’d like help and direction with a foam roller or lacrosse ball.
5) Sleep. Yes this is something we all need and cannot function without. Adequate sleep is responsible for repair of muscle tissue and hormone regulation, so if you are lacking sleep, guess what, your recovery will be too. A good target is at least 8 hours per night.
These are just 5 tips to help you improve and speed up your recovery. There are plenty more as well. Next time your at the Box, feel free to talk to a Coach more indepth about the topic.
