The importance of Rest & Recovery

Recovery? Rest? We hear about these things but what do they actually mean, and why are they important for our training? 

Iv noticed over the past few weeks how the whole of England is on a new health kick with the Lockdown and outdoor exercise being the only time some leave the house. Everyone has started walking, running, cycling or started a new home workout program. Regular gym goers are doing everything they can to stay active during this time. What about recovery? 

 It’s the part that never seems to be discussed. 

 So here we are… 

 What happens to your body when you exercise? 

Depending on the intensity of the exercise you are undertaking will depend on the “damage” done. Exercise requires energy, which your body will have stored ready to use. Just like when you are driving, your car will use the petrol in the tank and there will be less petrol after you have made your journey.  Energy stores will be depleted from exercise. 

 Your muscle tissue will also be put under stress from the exercise carried out. When muscles are put under stress it causes micro tears in the muscle, this is how the body adapts to the stress it is put under. In other words this is how you get stronger and build muscle, as long as you put the right rest and recovery steps in place that is. 

 Rest and recovery is just as important if not more than the actual workout. 

There are two types of recovery:

 Short term 

The short term recovery is the recovery that happens after a workout. This includes the cool down phase of your exercise session and the food you eat post workout.

Long term  

The long term recovery is the recovery that happens in the days and months following exercise. It includes nutrition, sleep, the programming of your exercise plan, and additional therapies that may be used to improve exercise performance. 

Below I will look at each in more detail. 

•  Cool down 

The cool down phase of your workout is where recovery starts, your body needs to slow down back its “normal” physiological state. At the end of a workout you can slow down your activity such as walking after a run for a short period to help the body adjust. Stretching is also a great way of ending a session as it assist the body in removing lactic acid build up, and prevents stiffness in the muscles. 

•  Post workout meal 

Your post workout meal is arguably one of the most important, as we discussed earlier exercise will use any fuel it has stored and this need to be replaced so that the body can start to recover and repair itself. Protein and Carbohydrates are important here, the amount will be individual to the person and the intensity of the session.

•   Fluid intake 

When we take part in exercise we sweat, so it makes sense that we would need to replace those fluids lost, post exercise. How much water will again depend on the person, the intensity of the session and the amount of water lost during exercise. Some exercises such as distance running may require different rehydration techniques than simply just water. 

• Nutrition for recovery 

As part of any good fitness routine nutrition will be a huge factor, it’s not always about weight management. Making sure you have a diet that will fuel your body to perform the exercises you are asking it to do will help with your performance in the gym. Athletes all put a huge focus on dietary requirements, because it helps them to become fitter, stronger and perform better. 

•  Sleep 

Sleep my favorite subject! When sleeping our bodies release growth hormone which the body uses to repair the muscles. Without quality sleep the body is unable to do this key process. 

The risks of not getting enough sleep for someone who undertakes regular exercise are; increased risk of injury, lower energy levels throughout the day and during exercise, increase cortisol (stress hormone), negative impacts on mood and increased muscle soreness. None of this sounds fun to me, get those zzZ

•   Programming exercise plans 

When programming your exercise plans and routines rest and recovery needs to be taken into consideration, you may do this yourself or you may have a personal trainer who does this for you. 

 When programming exercise routines you should consider firstly what exercise you are planning on doing, this is important as it will determine how much and when you should be doing it. Some of you may have heard of “training splits” these are put in place so that different muscle groups are worked on certain days so that other body parts are given time to rest and recover. Someone who is training for a marathon wouldn’t run a marathon every day, they would use a mixture of short and long distance running with rest days to build up to the marathon. 

Exercise breaks are another thing to consider when programming, this will give you body adequate time to recovery from exercise. Athletes use these after big events or seasons when exercise has been more intense in the lead up. Exercise breaks can also be a week of lower intensity exercise if total rest is not required. It will depend of the individual. 

•   Additional therapies 

Additional therapies that support exercise, rest and recover are ting such as foam rolling, massage, physiotherapy and heat therapy. This is personal preference and will be something that you may consider if you feel you need help with recovering from exercise. Athletes tend to make use of these therapies more than the regular gym goer, but they are for everyone! 

This might be something you are interested in, did I mention it is classed as self care too :)

Rest and recovery is an important part of any exercise plan and I hope this has helped you understand more about the subject. Its something to consider and keep in mind, now excuse me while I take a nap.

Speak Soon!!!

Amy x

07531 616261
amy@builtbyap.com

#personaltrainer #Restandrecovery