When you are challenging yourself in your daily training sessions, its inevitable that at some point your will be plagued by sore muscles or fatigue. However, there are techniques that can be used to mitigate these pains and they should be incorporated into your daily routine. The three main points we will cover today is proper rest, nutrition, and hydration (sound familiar? These were also the keys to proper Nutrition).
Proper Rest
Proper rest comes in numerous forms. Most notably, ‘active rest’ and ‘passive rest’. When training, its important to give your mind and body a break from the rigors of exercise. Its generally recommended to take between 1 and 3 days off of training per week, based on your age and the intensity of workouts. If you are completing all the training sessions in the LMV Workout Series, you will likely need 2 days off of training per week to help your body recover from these intense workouts. ‘Active rest’ is also an important part of recovery and is something that can be completed on your days off. This includes things like stretching and yoga. These types of movements increase blood flow in your body and assist in quickening regeneration. ‘Passive rest’ refers to the days when you will shut your mind off of training and just let your body totally recover.
Nutrition
Nutrition is an essential part of recovery. The old adage ‘what goes in, must come out’ is relevant when it comes to putting food into your body. When you fuel your body with high octane foods (whole grains, lean protein, and whole vegetables), the result is having more energy for your workouts which leads to more efficient training sessions. High octane foods will also help your body cleanse itself. Timing of nutrition is also key. It is important not to deprive your body of protein after a workout. Be sure to have a protein shake, or a protein-rich snack, between 20-40 minutes after a workout.
Hydration
Hydration is an equally important part of the recovery puzzle. Properly hydrated cells allow your body to wash away the toxins that are created as a byproduct of hard training. Start keeping track of how much water you are drinking and be sure to drink a minimum of 2 liters and as much as 4 litres (depending on your body size, type, season, etc).
Follow these three tips to help avoid having sore muscles. Sometimes sore muscles cannot be avoided by these three techniques can help minimize the pain.
