When you’re an athlete, it’s incredibly important to stick to a regimented training plan – especially if you’re ramping up for a specific event, competition, or race. Unfortunately, it’s incredibly easy to go overboard and overtrain. So, how do you find a balance and make sure your body is fully recovered before taking on yet another hard workout? Well, below, we’ve compiled some helpful ways you can maximize your recovery and ensure your body is in fighting form by the time race day comes around. Keep reading to learn how to take care of your body – even in the middle of training.
Consider Using CBD
CBD is all the rage these days – and that’s for good reason. CBD can help lower the effects of anxiety and stress, and it can also lower the inflammation in your body that occurs after working out. If you don’t like the taste of CBD gummies or CBD oils, you can simply take CBD gel caps.
Just make sure that you research the CBD company so that you’re getting only the best ingredients.
Drink Water
{“type”:”block”,”srcIndex”:1,”srcClientId”:”fd433538-fda2-44bf-8b2b-54735395b9b5″,”srcRootClientId”:””}When you’re working out, you lose a ton of fluid. Ideally, you’ll replace those fluids as you actively exercise. But, sometimes it’s hard to take constant water breaks. To make up for any dehydration, make sure that you drink plenty of water after you exercise.
Water enables your body to undergo metabolic functions efficiently and aids in nutrient transfer.
It’s critical to pay attention to your hydration if you’re doing any endurance training as well. You’re at a higher risk of getting dehydrated when you spend hours upon hours of exercising and sweating. It’s not a bad idea to supplement with an electrolyte drink as well – but this is only necessary if you’re working out for more than an hour.
Pay Attention to Your Food
When you’re working out hard, your body is depleting its glycogen stores. After you’re done training, your body need nutrients to rebuild. So, try to get high-quality protein and carbs in within sixty minutes of the end of your workout.
However, don’t be super strict with the one-hour rule. You can also just focus on getting in extra protein within the day.
Build in “Nothing” Days
If you’re waddling around from being super sore after a workout, it’s a smart idea to just let your body fully recover. Bodies are amazing and can withstand lots of stress but sometimes, doing nothing is exactly what your body needs. Make sure you build in days where you lie around in your training schedule, it’s important to give your muscles a day off!
Stretch
Although it’s true that you should never stretch when you’re cold, stretching after a workout is a great way to cool down and keep your muscles flexible. You can stretch just using your body or use foam rollers, towels, and other accessories to help you get the most out of your stretching session. Or, get in a quick session of yoga to help calm your mind and your body.
Practice Active Recovery
If you’re feeling a little worn out, consider taking a day to try out “active recovery”. Easy, gentle exercise like a bike ride, swim, or a walk can help improve your body’s circulation. In turn, your muscles benefit from fresh, oxygenated blood while waste is transported away. In turn, your muscles can heal and recover faster. Just don’t get too excited and end up doing a hard training day – that defeats the purpose of a recovery day!
Conclusion: Recover the Right Way
Recovery is integral to getting stronger and faster. If you continually train without adequate breaks and recovery, you can get seriously discouraged and unmotivated. And, you also put yourself at risk for serious injury. To avoid these situations, it’s important to listen to your body and build in days of little or no activity during periods when your training intensity picks up. By giving your body the rest it needs, you can ensure that you stay healthy and strong. After all, nobody wants to have to cancel an event or stop training due to an overtraining injury! Follow this guide to help better understand your training limitations and above all, remember to stretch!
