If you want to become a better and more fit person, there are three things you need to have good control over: Your training, your diet and your recovery. Many if not most people skip recovery, I am one of them.. đ I know how it effects my training when I skip it, my performance suffers. Proper recovery plays a large role in reaching our fitness goals. Whether youâre over training or have just been hitting the gym harder lately, we can all benefit from better sleep, better nutrition and more stretching/mobility work.
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Here are some 5 unusual tips for recovery that you can start to incorporate today!
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-Listen to music ! Listening to âslowâ music immediately post-workout can slow your heart rate, help your blood pressure recover and put your body in recovery mode quicker than not listening music.
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-Drink tart cherry juice. Not only is it great for heart and digestive health, drinking cold cherry juice regularly can help improve post exercise soreness. Additional studies indicate that tart cherry juice can also improve sleep quality and duration by boosting levels of melatonin. Since we know that getting adequate sleep is crucial to proper recovery, weight management, and just about everything else, we think it is a no brainer to use regularly.
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-Eat both carbs and protein post workout. Most everyone knows to drink a protein shake but did you know that eating protein and carbs before your workout might be just as important to your progress? Studies show that elevated levels of insulin and amino acids in your system from carb and protein intake during your workouts improves muscle performance.
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-Skip the post workout cocktail if your going out. Studies show that post-exercise alcohol can impede progress in the gym. However, it should be noted that low levels of alcohol consumption should not affect your progress significantly. What does this mean for you? If your planning on going out on the weekend and having several drinks, itâs best to not exercise right before you go out, or even that day if you want your workout to be beneficial. Keep the drinks in moderation when youâre on a strict workout program.
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-Take a power nap.. no really ! Studies show that daytime naps have a potential role as a valuable recovery tool after exercise. Hit the gym hard in the morning or at lunch? Take a quick power nap before you return to work.
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In addition to the usual recovery methods weâre all familiar with, try giving some of these a shot and see if they help improve your performance!