If you want to get the most out of your fitness routine, your exercise recovery habits are just as important as your active training time. During your workout, you break down muscle tissue, deplete glycogen, and stress the body. To repair, rebuild and grow new muscle, you need proper recovery so you can build more strength and endurance.
Proper recovery is essential for everyone, and if you find yourself in pain for long periods of time, suffering from chronic injuries and not being motivated to complete your workouts, you are probably overtrained. It’s time to listen to your body and pay extra attention to rest and recovery. Use the following tips to optimize your recovery periods.
Focus on Whole Food nutrition
Muscles need proteins and carbohydrates to recover. Protein repairs and rebuilds muscle fibers, while carbohydrates restore depleted glycogen stores. It’s also important to make sure you’re getting enough calories, especially if you want to build muscle. Focus on whole food sources, such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, eggs and lean meats. Eating whole foods helps you get enough vitamins and minerals, which are essential for reducing inflammation and speeding recovery.
Prioritize sleep
To recover properly, your body needs sufficient sleep, for most adults this is 7-9 hours. Insufficient sleep negatively affects growth hormone production and insulin sensitivity. Optimize sleep through basic sleep hygiene, such as cutting off stimulants after midday, sleeping in a dark, cool environment, limiting blue light exposure one to two hours before bed, and maintaining a consistent sleep and wake time . Consider improving the quality of your rest and regulating your stress response with herbal nerve and adaptogen blends.
Hydrate
Proper hydration can support recovery by helping you digest the nutrients needed for the thousands of biochemical reactions in your body that keep you healthy. Additionally, dehydration after a workout can slow protein synthesis necessary for muscle recovery. Rehydrate after exercise by drinking 16 ounces of fluid for every pound you lose during exercise. If you are significantly dehydrated, consider adding an electrolyte blend, coconut water, or even a pinch of mineral salt to your water.
Participate in rest days + active recovery
Training frequency is an important aspect of a good sports recovery plan. Make sure you have at least one rest day per week and avoid training the same muscle group two days in a row. Participating in active recovery activities such as gentle yoga, walking, stretching and foam rolling can promote blood flow, help remove waste products from the body and speed recovery.
Cold therapy
After exercising, consider taking a dip in a cold lake or a dip in an ice bath. Research has shown that cold immersion significantly reduces muscle soreness.
To get the most out of your workouts, keep in mind that incorporating optimal recovery techniques is just as important as the time you spend training!
Check out WishGarden’s Exercise & Revive Recovery Aid. This herbal formula nourishes your depleted body with herbal adaptogens like turmeric and maca root that work together with sour cherry, wild yam, and white willow bark to support a healthy inflammatory response that your muscles will thank you for. The formula also flushes away cellular waste.
Writer Katie Gerber is a holistic health and nutrition coach who serves clients locally and online. In 2014, she completed Aviva Romm’s Herbal Medicine for Women certification. After hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2014 and the Colorado Trail in 2016, Katie decided to use her knowledge of botanical medicine and nutrition to help fellow wilderness enthusiasts in their quest for more energy and better health. She transitioned from her career as a pastry chef and enrolled at the Institute for Transformational Nutrition. She now uses her lifelong passion for holistic health with her background in culinary arts to help people live healthier lives, in tune with nature. Katie writes for various publications and speaks at local events. When she’s not writing and working with clients, you’ll likely find her in the mountains, in the garden, or in the kitchen testing recipes. Read more about Katie, her articles and her adventures on her website.
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, or to sell any product.
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