For most first time gym goers, the assumption is that the longer the workout, the better the result. You don’t think about the need for recovery from training or exercise. You think about training as much as possible and you push through the fatigue to reach those long lasting results. The reality of this training without balance can result in injury and you’ll never reach that long term goal of fitness. We need to understand how to combine exercise and recovery to see the best results in the long run.
The first principle for recovery is to listen to your body. If you feel tired, sore and fatigued, or you notice your performance has been declining in the gym. You may be noticing signs that your body is struggling to recover after training and your muscles are too tight to recover effectively. Training too long without enough rest can lead to injury and burn out. Recovery is part of exercise not a luxury that you can do once you’ve reached your fitness goals.
Strength training and cardio both require periods of recovery between training. For example, a strength training session will create small tears in your muscle tissue that will repair during periods of rest and grow stronger. When you do cardio for example, your heart and lungs will feel tired and stressed, you’ll need recovery after those sessions to repair. When you combine both of these workouts together without scheduling in your recovery between them, it’s easy to over train yourself.
Scheduling active recovery will help you balance workouts effectively. Active recovery includes activities such as mobility sessions, yoga, and walking that help to improve blood flow and your range of motion throughout the day and you’ll also feel more awake and energized throughout the week to help with consistency when you return to the gym. Recovery also helps your mind focus which is another essential part of staying consistent.
Sleep is another essential part of recovery, you need adequate sleep to allow your muscles to repair, regulate hormones and to be fully rested for your sessions and everyday tasks. If you don’t get enough rest you may find workouts get harder and your progress will stall. Getting at least 7 to 9 hours of good quality sleep is very important and if your schedule permits, naps.
Nutrition is another important part of recovery, eating enough protein allows you to repair and replenish protein stores in the body and carbohydrate needs to be eaten as well to help you fuel up for your workouts after your training session. Hydration and nutrients will also help you reduce muscle soreness and improve your workouts. By eating correctly you’ll allow the body to recover better and adapt after your sessions.
You can plan a well balanced routine by alternating your weekly program. You can alternate heavy strength sessions and lighter cardiovascular training or mobility sessions. Plan an entire day of complete rest. This strategy ensures that you will be training consistently and safely without any injury or burn out from going too hard too quickly.
Track your workouts and recovery in order to make smarter choices about your program as time goes on. Note how your body feels, how your workouts are performing, how rested you are after sessions, adjust if needed. This allows you to train smarter and longer.
At our VitalMotion Course we train participants to learn how to effectively combine training and recovery strategies. Our programs are designed to teach individuals how to do strength and cardio training with mobility sessions and how to incorporate rest and recovery in the routine to help you see consistent results over time without overtraining.
It is important to note that in order to succeed with fitness and reach your long term goals, you need to be consistent and keep a balanced approach. By allowing time for recovery to take place in conjunction with training, you’ll get the best results and stay healthy and motivated long term.