Athletes (and their coaches) spend a lot of effort ensuring that they do not over-train and therefore suffer the consequences of injury and poor performance. However, if you take a look at the programs of elite athletes you will find that often they are participating in so much training that you’d immediately think over-training is imminent. So, how do they cope? Well, not only do they make sure that their training is structured in such a fashion that they do not overwork one muscle group, movement or otherwise but they make sure that they recover correctly. This is the difference between great and mediocre results.
How many times have you trained so hard that you had to take 3-4 days off? Pro athletes train harder than you and they don’t have to take that kind of time off. They recover properly and if you change a few things about your recovery then you will be able to train harder and better and gain greater results.
Here are a few ideas that should improve your recovery:
- Eat properly – nutrition is paramount to adequate recovery, if you are eating junk and working hard then there is no way that your body can rebuild itself. Garbage in = garbage out.
- Sleep and rest – make sure you get enough rest, pro athletes will often sleep in the middle of the day to let their bodies recover. Take the time to get adequate rest and sleep and let your body heal and adapt.
- Stretch – moving your muscles and joints through a full range of motion before and after exercise will help relieve discomfort and will help repair of the muscles, it will also help you relax.
- Massage and physical therapy – having a professional treatment can help your recovery time, consider visiting a massage therapist, chiro, osteo or physio on a regular basis to stay in the correct alignment and maintain correct function.
- Be sensible – know your limits, don’t push yourself so hard that you break. Training is not about damaging yourself, it’s about adapting and growing and improving.
