Massage
Recovery is something every athlete should take very seriously yet it is often one of the most neglected parts of an athletes program. Any athlete who isn’t thinking about how to improve their rate of recovery isn’t serious about their training results.
Recovery after your training has huge impact on your results. Inadequate recovery leads to decreases in performance, slower (if any) gains, and in increased likelihood of injury. Good recovery on the other hand helps contribute to faster and greater improvements, an increase in performance, and a reduced incidence of injury.
Recovery maximization really boils down to the following six actions:
1. Rest – both in terms of sleep and time between training sessions
2. Diet – getting the right nutrients to grow, refuel, and rebuild
3. Hydration – not enough water can slow things down terribly
4. Joint and Muscle work – foam rolling, stretching
5. Icing – helps to reduce inflammation of the joints
6. Epsom Salt Baths – helps relax and release tension from the muscles
By consistently getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated, and taking the time to foam roll, stretch and ice you will significantly decrease your recovery time and increase your performance levels.
This is only introduction for the topic of recovery. In next articles we will discuss more broadly each of the six factors necessary for fast recovery.
