We often talk about the importance of training hard, but it’s equally important to make sure your body is given the opportunity to recovery properly and prepare for your next training cycle. When you train effectively your muscles undergo micro trauma and recover stronger.
In today’s video, Keath and Maggie walk through some ways to aid in your stretching and recovery with a range of tools including lacrosse balls, massage tools, foam rollers, Theragun as well as hot and cold therapy.
Other recovery tips include the following:
- Make sure you are getting adequate sleep. Poor or not enough sleep can stifle your motivation to train and even limit your maximum strength when resistance training and performing compound movements.
- Hydrate properly throughout the day to ensure proper cellular and muscle function. Your hydration level fluctuates throughout the day. It’s important that you not just chug a bunch of water at the end of the day to make your water intake goal. Space it out throughout the day. Not sure if you’re dehydrated? The color of your urine is a good indicator of how hydrated you are. Pale yellow indicates good hydration, sunflower yellow indicates normal hydration or slight dehydration. If your urine is darker and looks more like movie theatre butter you’ve got dehydration problems. If it’s red, call your doctor!
- Consume protein after your workout. Consuming about 15g-25g within 30-60 minutes of completing your training will help jump-start your recovery. A simple protein shake without a lot of extra junk in it is a great way to go.
“Treat your body like a temple, not a tent.” – Jimmy Buffett