Tips on How to Recover Like a Pro

I am writing a book about injury prevention that I pray one day will see the light of day! It is currently a work in progress and well… has been for the last 18 months.  I started writing it at the beginning of 2020 when Perth, WA went into its very first lockdown. 

I have worked at nearly every prestigious Crossfit competition in Perth for the last four years with the Athlete HUB, and what a wild ride that has been. I love it.

However, I have always noticed the amount of people who under-recover or don’t know how to recover full stop!. There is a lot of science out of there on what to do and what not to do, but sifting through it can be exhausting and rather time consuming. So I have done the research and work for you.

Now, I will say this, each person's ability to recover is dependent on a lot of things, their current diet, alcohol intake, sleep, stress, external environments and their overall health and wellbeing. Mental health  and mindset also plays an integral role here as well. and  As you can imagine there is a lot to take into account.

However, I bring you good news, there are always things you can add in that are relatively low cost or free to improve or enhance your recovery. Below I have listed some of my tips!

Sauna

  1. Reduces inflammation and pain

  2. Improves heart health

  3. Boosts mood

  4. Strengthens immunity

  5. Excretes toxins

  6. Lowers dementia risk

  7. Increases insulin sensitivity

  8. Helps exercise performance

  9. Improves recovery

Hydration and refuel your body properly

  1. Exercise depletes our glycogen stores

  2. “Consistent fuelling will impair your performance and ability to recover and may predispose you to injury” (Coleman, 2021).

  3. During exercise you fluids and sodium through your sweat

  4. Most recovery is based on blood flow and increasing blood volume. Dehydration causes loss of blood volume and therefore impedes or slows the recovery process and makes you more susceptible to cramping!

Grounding

  1. Go for a barefoot walk on the grass or beach or dirt

  2. Improves circulation, speeds us wound healing. 

  3. Reduces inflammation as shown below in infrared imaging, also enables the return of body temperature homeostasis.

  4. Improves sleep, through normalising circadian rhythm.

  5. Reduces stress by dropping us into our parasympathetic system.

(Oschman et al, 2015, pg84).

Sunshine and an Ocean dip

  1. Improve sleep by stimulating the body’s natural circadian rhythm.

  2. Ocean boosts the immune system.

  3. Ocean contains a limitless supply of minerals and trace elements such as magnesium to prevent cramping and boost recovery.

  4. Cold water therapy causes the blood vessels to constrict (assisting in lactic acid flush out, reduces swelling and tissue breakdown), upon coming out our blood vessels dilate, body temperature increases and the healing process improves as it acts like a pump system.

Light active recovery

  1. A light slow swim or walk

  2. This one is super simple and completely free! Going for a light walk or swim after a week of hard and intense training, it keeps the body moving, increases blood flow without placing heavy strain on your tissues or joints

I know these tips seem really simple, because recovery sometimes needs to be simple. No need for armotech boots unless you are competing at a high level. Simple goes a long way. Choose one thing a day or two things a week. Ensure you are always prioritising sleep and rest, they are the utmost important recovery tools to help keep you performing at your best, feeling your best and bringing your best to every day!

If you are unsure how to implement these into your daily routine, Book an appointment with us today and let’s have a chat to see how we can help you perform at your best and recovery like a pro!


Tarsha Willis