Recovery: Why you need it and how to do it effectively.
Not getting results? Thinking you need to add MORE to your routine?
THINK AGAIN!
You may need to do LESS!
Say WHAT? Yeah, you heard me right. I did a blog post awhile back about More is not always better, better is better. Be sure to check that one out too!
We’ve been having this conversation quite a bit with clients lately…. I workout 5-6 days/week but I am not getting results, in fact, the scale is going up. Why?
Because you may be doing too much high intensity work and not letting your body recover between workouts.
What is HIIT training?
“High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a cardiorespiratory training technique that alternates brief speed and recovery intervals to increase the overall intensity of your workout. HIIT is used by athletes and everyday exercise enthusiasts to reach performance goals and enhance fitness and well-being.” (1)
HIIT is done at a submaximal level; around 80-95% of maximal aerobic capacity. You are pushing to the max in each interval!
How it can be detrimental to your results.
While HIIT or heavy resistance training is effective and beneficial, remember to allow at least 48 hours of recovery time between high-intensity exercise sessions and try to limit yourself to no more than three strenuous workouts per week. This right here, is the problem with group fitness classes. Don’t get me wrong. I love them. That’s how I started my career in fitness, but I quickly learned through continuing education and really life application, that if you go back to back HIIT workouts, you will burn out quick (real quick), get injured, and go backwards with your results.
So, if your workouts are starting to suck, you’re feeling drained, you’ve plateaued, and maybe started to gain some weight around the mid section, you likely aren’t recovering from your workouts and you need to keep reading!!!!
Recovery is one of those fitness terms that gets thrown around a lot but is not often explained. We assume we know what it means – give the body time to rest and heal – but do we know how to do it effectively?
Because, I took a day off from the gym can be seen as recovery but did you actually recover during that day?
Recovery= the act or process of becoming healthy after an illness or injury.
Notice how it doesn’t say “post-workout” or “only after your sessions. One of the biggest misses is not understanding the spectrum of recovery available to us and how to best utilize it to our advantage.
So, let’s dive in, shall we?
Recovery strategies can help with strength & endurance gains, as well as overall health and fitness. If a person is aiming to recover from an injury, illness, or surgery, then care from a professional such as a doctor, nurse practitioner, or physical therapist is most appropriate. However, if you are seeking overall health and wellness, IT MUST BE BUILT INTO YOUR TRAINING PLAN!
Immediate Post-Workout Recovery
Immediate post-workout recovery is also known as the cool-down phase. It gets skipped A LOT, probably because it’s not sexy or exciting when compared to things like strength training and cardiovascular conditioning. We see it all the time, people sign off their workouts, leave class in a hurry because they have to get to work or home to make dinner or see the kids.
It’s also neglected because people don’t understand or haven’t bought into its benefits. But just five to ten minutes of cool-down time will enhance the benefits of any kind of training session.
An effective cool-down achieves two main goals: Rehydration and Downregulation of the Central Nervous System.
If you take classes with me, you’ve been hearing me say this more and more “find your breath.” Start to slow body. Make sure to take some time to breath and just be. Stretching is way for us to stay connected with our body before we go start the day, which is why we always end with it. So, the next time you want to skip it, please don’t! It’s only 5 extra minutes of your day and SOOOOO dang important!
Hydration
Hydration is key because every person loses some water during a workout via sweat. When the body is dehydrated, you can suffer from muscle cramps, fatigue, headache, and even fainting.
Water is also essential for regulating body temperature, maintaining blood pressure, and carrying nutrients throughout the body. To ensure proper post-workout hydration, weigh yourself before and after the training session.
Pro Tip: For every pound lost while training, drink 16 ounces of water.
Depending on the temperature and humidity, your size and weight, hydration state prior to beginning exercise, and the duration and intensity of the training session, post-workout fluid requirements can vary.
The easiest way to know if you are well hydrated is to monitor your urine. Light yellow or clear means you’re good to go, while darker urine is a sign you’re dehydrated.
Keep in mind that if exercise lasts longer than an hour, sports drinks with electrolytes are recommended in place of plain water to replace sodium lost through sweat.
Down-regulation of the CNS
The second element of immediate post-workout recovery is down-regulation of the central nervous system. The cool-down phase gives the body and the mind a chance to calm by dimming from “fight or flight” to “rest and digest”.
Walking out of the gym charged up on adrenaline can take an unnecessary toll on your body. Lowering both heart rate and respiratory rate as well as decreasing circulating blood cortisol levels is key prior to leaving the gym. Ringing a bell????
“Let’s get you out of the red, yellow, green and back into the gray before you leave the studio!”
Simple deep breathing exercises are proven to aid in this down-regulation or “relaxation response”.
Try This Drill – After the training session is complete, lie down on your back, preferably with your feet elevated. Set a timer for five minutes and breathe deeply in and out through the nose. Don’t try too hard; just relax and allow the body to settle down.
A great way to calm the mind during this time is to repeat a positive affirmation or mantra in your head, listen to relaxing music or white noise, picture in your mind a relaxing scene or image, or simply count the breaths.
Nutrition
Nutrition and hydration go hand in hand and are all about what you put into your body in the hours outside of training. Nourishing yourself with a whole-food based diet that includes adequate amounts of protein, fats, and carbohydrates as well as essential vitamins and minerals and plenty of water is imperative to overall fitness and health.
After a workout, you need to eat a nutritious meal high in protein and carbohydrates. It can be helpful to have that meal already prepared, so that all you have to do when you’re finished with the training session is eat.
Last night’s leftovers (chicken and rice, steak and potatoes, etc.) are a perfect easy post-workout meal. A protein shake is a good option immediately after exercising if you don’t have the ability to eat a full meal, but you should eat real food when you can.
Keep in mind that one good meal a day – for example what you eat right after you exercise – is not enough. No matter what time of day you train, every meal should be nutrient-dense, whole-food based, and include some form of protein. Food is the fuel that helps us grow strong and live long!
Soft Tissue Work/SMR AKA Foam Rolling
During exercise, blood circulation in the muscles is at its peak. It slows significantly once the training session is complete, and that slowing can lead to fatigue, soreness, and even swelling.
You can stimulate circulation with soft tissue work such as massage or foam rolling after a training session. If you don’t have access to a personal massage therapist, foam rolling is an excellent substitute.
Sleep
Sleep is perhaps the most underrated recovery tool. You are probably aware that you need seven to nine hours of sleep per night, but did you know most adults don’t get the recommended amount?
Many people deprioritize sleep due to family, work, or social obligations. But adequate sleep is just as essential for health as a nutritious diet and regular exercise, if not even more so.
During sleep, you are quite literally recovering from your day. Muscles rebuild, toxins and plaques are removed from the brain, and your mind processes and responds to emotions and events you experienced that day.
To improve sleep quality, consider a bedtime ritual. Try turning off screens (including your phone) thirty minutes prior to bedtime, and winding down by having a cup of tea, reading, stretching, or meditating.
Adjust the temperature and lighting in your bedroom to suit you. Consider your mattress, sheets, and pillows. Create a cozy and inviting environment.
If eight hours of sleep seems decadent or unattainable, reframe how you think about rest. Perhaps you can prioritize rest the same way you prioritize productivity; make it a component of your training because without it results are much more difficult to achieve.
Rest Days
Rest days can be a hard sell to many fitness lovers. After all, what about the mantra “no days off”?
If you’re serious about maintaining optimal fitness and overall health, don’t think of a recovery day as a day off where you do nothing or throw your training mentality out the window.
Think of it as a day ON – an intentional day in your training routine that includes nutrition, adequate hydration, and meaningful movement – maybe something like walking, swimming, or yoga.
It should feel restful and rejuvenating, but not lazy. A day off on the other hand might consist of spending a day on the boat drinking beer, going out to a big dinner party, or lying on the couch watching three football games in a row.
Some people call them cheat days, and while they are certainly not forbidden, they differ from intentional recovery. I believe there is a distinction between taking a rest or recovery day from intense training and a “day off”.
While the latter will serve you best when taken few and far between, the former should be programmed regularly as an integral part of your training regimen.
Play Time!
Do something you enjoy and get your ass outdoors! This means moving your body outside of the gym. Walking is my favorite prescription for mindful movement, and I encourage everyone to do it!
It’s low impact and proven to be beneficial for physical and mental health. But other forms of movement work, too.
How do you like to to have fun? Is it turning on your favorite song and dancing away in your living room? Going for a swim? A hike? Paddle boarding? Biking? Cross country skiing? Playing some pickle ball perhaps?
The key behind meaningful movement is that it is enjoyable, low to moderate in intensity, and doesn’t cause discomfort or pain. While giving the body a break from high intensity work like running, jumping, and weightlifting, you are still allowing and encouraging it to move.
And on days when you are not training, movement will help with blood flow that aids in muscle nourishment and recovery. Meaningful movement doesn’t mean that you are never allowed to sit still.
I am certainly a fan of watching movies, hanging out on the boar, and Netflix binge days on the couch!! Just don’t think of the days outside of the gym as days where you don’t use your body at all.
Stress Management
Finally, managing stress is a critical part of long-term recovery and prevention of burnout. Life is hard! Work is hard! Training is hard! We need to give ourselves a little “easy”.
Stress management looks different for everyone, but its goal is constant – to allow you to enjoy life. Taking time for things that are not hard work allows your mind to relax and makes you better prepared to deal with the more taxing demands of life, including training.
If you’ve ever trained while going through a challenging life situation like financial troubles or divorce, then you’ve experienced the toll that mental stress can have on the physical body.
The body and mind are inextricably connected. So it only follows that when the mind is fresh, clear, and relaxed that the body can perform at its best.
For some, management of stress might be recreation like a game of golf with friends or game night. For some it may be self-care like a spa day, getting your hair or nails done, or a bubble bath.
For others it may be reading, journaling, creating art, or meditating. For still others it may be counseling or more specialized treatment. The take home message is do what you need to do to remain well-balanced and resilient. Your body will thank you.
The takeaway!
Recovery is not an afterthought or an optional part of a training regimen. It is not just for people who like yoga or people who want an excuse to take days off.
Recovery done right will augment the benefits of any training program, whether that’s strength training, athletic training, or endurance training. And recovery done consistently will enhance the overall quality of your life.
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