4 Key points of Recovery

Nobody questions the value of exercise training for optimal athletic performance and improvement,  but today we’re talking about recovery, which is an equally important component of a training program as it gives the body time to repair, rebuild and strengthen itself between workouts.

Here are 4 Key points of recovery you should be implementing in your training plan:

MOVE

First key point of great recovery is the movement. Move your body in any type of movement. Walk, run, cycle, swim, etc. - just keep it moving. 

Moving is very important for your health and here’s why:

• It increases dopamine
• Improves physical and mental health
• Improves your biggest muscle – HEART

But don’t forget: more is not always better. The best way to improve is to progressively overload your training.

SLEEP

One of the most important aspects to keep in check should be your sleeping cycle.

8 hours of sleep is actually just 2,5h of deep sleep. How long are usually your sleeping cycles?

Poor sleep cycle is a common reason why people get stuck within their fitness progress. Not having enough good sleep leads to stress, stress leads to poor physical health (as it directly affects processes in our bodies) and low motivation, and eventually you give up. These days, the real question is how to control the sleep cycle or even manage stress?

Best way to control your sleeping cycle is to go to sleep at the same time every day, as well as try to wake up at the same time every day. This is how you train your brain to get the best out of every sleep, which will eventually translate into better recovery, quicker results and overall better well-being.

Stress is different. You can lower your stress with different methods. Aerobic cardio training, where your heart rate moves between 130-150 bpm, is a way to reduce stress and speed up recovery. If you execute this on a weekly basis, your VO2 should increase and your recovery will become easier and faster.

FOOD 

How to control your food intake to help your recovery? 

This might be old news but eating a lot of unprocessed foods, like vegetables or meat would definitely help with your recovery. 

Our suggestion would be to stick to the 80/20 rule, which is basically to eat 80% healthy foods and 20% of the rest food, about 25-30 kcal per kg of bodyweight. The most important aspect to look after is protein intake. It makes you fuller for a longer time, as the body needs more time to digest it.

Fun fact: 30% of calories is used to digest protein, 12% for the carbs and only 3% for fat.

Carbs are also a very important part for your recovery. Those are like gas for the car, because they fuel you and keep you standing tall and ready to train.

PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD

What is progressive overload, where to even start and what’s really important?

The most crucial point to make progress or even just start is to be honest with yourself. Set realistic and challenging goals and remember: ''You can't change something, if you don't know where to begin.”

Don’t just recklessly train every day of the week as this won’t last for long. You’ve got to have a plan and stick to it. It’s important to really think about your fitness plan as well as be focused on mind-body connection while working out. 

Very high percentage of people start with 5 training sessions per week and make a lot of progress in the first 4-6 weeks. What usually happens then is, after 1 month your body becomes tired and with no energy left, because you jumped in too fast with no time to recover. How many of you have been there?

You see, motivation gets you through the first month, maybe the second or third, but routine, discipline and consistency will get you that long term success on your fitness journey. Just keep in mind to set realistic goals and stick to your training plan, not forgetting to incorporate all of the above key points for recovery as well to achieve best results.

Let's make recovery as important as training. Plan your whole fitness routine and watch your body (and mind) excel!