I does not matter if you're someone who works out 7 days a week or someone who just started working out, or just someone trying to find a way to avoid soreness, stiffness, and recover better!
# 1 COOL DOWN
We all know how important warm-ups are to prevent injuries, but what about the time immediately after a workout?
For the first 60-90 minutes after working out a person’s body is doing everything it can to recover. In this time it is extremely important to do things that will help your body and your goals in the long term. For many athletes, this is to get some food in quickly to stop muscle breakdown. For most people, this should include drinking water, stretching (active or passive), heat, etc..
So do you skip a cool down or do you do things that help improve your overall health?
#2 You Are What You Eat
Another simple concept that is difficult for many people. Compare these situations;
Person A - Eats 5 servings of fruits and 8 servings of veggiesGets enough proteinPlant or animalStays hydratedKeeps complex carbs sport or exercise specifically loadedTimes meals
Person B - Ends their WOD at a local bar. Picks up fast food on the way home. Gets water through Coffee, Alcohol, Soda(s), energy drinks, etc.. Over-eats. Eats anything anytime
Who is going to have better success? We all know that long term will lead to person A to better results.
#3 Sleep for Success
When is your body doing the most recovery or processing of all the information from the day? It is when you’re sleeping. The importance of getting enough sleep is seldom talked about. With everyone’s busy schedules we frequently cut short or sacrifice sleep in order to get ahead.
Why is sleep so important? It is essential for complex movement learning, improvement, and long term memory. People who are not getting enough sleep or good enough quality sleep often feel uncoordinated and experience higher levels of soreness than people who get adequate levels of sleep.
#4 Know Your Body AND LISTEN
This is probably the most important portion of this post. Only you know how each and every moment your exercising feels. You have to be the person to know when it is time to push harder and when you need to devote more time for recovery and improvement!
While many people actually find it easy to get in touch with how their body is feeling, many people struggle listening to it. We strive to push day in and day out whether it is in working out, sports, work, or family.
Do not overlook;
Excessive fatigue
Irritability
Increased soreness
Decreased ability or performance
Lack in ability to get restful sleep
Mental Fog
Remember when your body is saying I need rest and recovery time, it is important to listen!
#5 Wellness Chiropractic
Chiropractors get lumped into just treating headache, back pain, and neck pain. The truth is almost all professional athletes know that using a chiropractor is a great way to gain the upper hand while recovering quickly from strenuous exercise or stress of daily life.
Chiropractic can improve or affect almost all of the other 6 points positively in one way or another. From helping provide cool down exercises, restoring range of motion, decreasing inflammation, helping regulate sleep, giving nutritional advice, and supporting your needs for better recovery and healthcare.
If you know someone who needs to improve their recovery, already suffered an injury, struggling with sleep issues, and attempting to get their diet on track. Make sure they schedule an appointment ASAP.