Arianna
Jan 15, 20213 min
Let's dive into the recovery world here... There's several methods to help your body feel AMAZING especially after a long day at work or after a hard workout. Below, I have many different methods that can assist, HOWEVER it all comes down to one thing AND THAT IS YOU! If you allow time in your life to take care of yourself, you may quite literally feel "ON TOP OF THE WORLD". Soooo.... I've got some really important questions for you below...
1. What methods are shown to help with muscle recovery?
There are several things you can do EVERYDAY to help with recovery. Everyone always wants the easy fix... but let's be frank, it's never that easy! Here are the first few things you can do RIGHT NOW to help your muscles recover:
HYDRATION! - our muscles are about 75% water... we NEED this! Forget the whole "clear pee" idea. A good rule of thumb is to weigh yourself before and after a workout, drinking 1.5x the amount of weight lost.
CONSUME a healthy blend of PROTEIN, CARBS and FATS! - reach out to me for more info on this! --- It's one of the most important factors, but also one of the most complicated to explain.
SLEEP + REST DAY - 8-9hrs of sleep is your goal! Post workout rest is crucial! Give at least 1 day between workouts to recover. There is a ton of stress we put on our bodies, creating tears that need mending. Otherwise, we may run into overtraining - decreased energy, weakness and poor nutrition. (I know this one from experience!)
Consider taking an ICE BATH (55 degrees)! ... Nowadays more and more research shows that cold therapy can help with recovery! The idea here is that cold therapy constricts blood vessels and decreases metabolic activity, reducing swelling and tissue breakdown, flushing metabolic waste from the muscle.
MOVE MORE! I can't say this enough - the more you move and use your body the more efficient it will be. Makes sense when you step out of your comfort zone and realize that it actually feels BETTER when you move and get OUTSIDE (preferably)!
2. Do you have a difficult time falling asleep due to an achy or sore body?! You may want to consider a couple of things... Ridgeline has TWO muscle recovery type classes to teach you an array of stretching techniques to help train muscles to relax and recover. You will also learn the power behind your breathing technique and how to use other tools and equipment (see below).
Attend either of these classes: the Morning Stretch @ 6am MWF or Restore and Recover every MTh @ 6:30pm. Let me know if you're interested by replying back to me OR you can register online by clicking this link >>> https://www.ariannakinder.com/classes
I also LOVE many different Shaklee products that can help with muscle recovery, such as the PM Recovery, the Soy Life Shake and much more! Follow the links to find out more about Shaklee and it's amazing organic products!
3. Knee pain? Do they 'wobble' when you kneel, squat or lunge? Take action to protect your body by giving a little extra support and cushion! I have attached a link below for "compression knee sleeves". This is a recommended product from the Functional Aging Institute to help support you during exercise or any physical activity throughout your day! It will also help cushion your knees when you get down on the floor. No, this does not pertain to muscle recovery, however knee pain or any joint discomfort is typically directly related to our muscle use.
4. Are your legs tight or do you experience muscle cramps at night? There's a few things I would like to suggest to YOU! Check out the picture below to find yourself some of the top recovery tools on the market right now! However, I will caution you, if you're not willing to put in the time and effort to help your muscles recover, these tools will NOT work for you. Just like everything else in health and fitness, we have to train our bodies to react to outside factors and stressors EVERYDAY to get the results we want! Target these often overused areas: glutes, iliotibial band (IT band), lower back, shoulders and sides.
4. Do you have questions???
The best thing you can do for yourself is invest in your overall health. Personal trainers are not here to bark orders, we're here to find what's right for YOU! No two people are alike. So if you're interested in signing up for a fitness assessment or just want to chat please just reach out to me. Or you can schedule your first FREE fitness assessment HERE!
Hope to see you soon!
In health,
ari