As CrossFitters, we have higher intensity workouts than most. This means our recovery needs to be more intense than most!
There are many methods to recovery, some physical and some mental. Here are some tips to make sure you are making the most out of your recovery and ensure you are ready to go for the next day!
1-Post Workout Nutrition:
After your workout, it is ideal to consume some form of protein. From 30 minutes to 1 hour after your workout, your muscles are more receptive to protein intake and more ready to engage in protein synthesis to build muscle. Also, due to our high intensity workouts, it is necessary to consume some form of carbohydrate along with the protein. Research shows consuming protein and carbohydrate together increases protein synthesis rate and prevents muscle breakdown after workouts!
2-Flexibility and Mobility:
Over the course of a workout, we ask our muscles to contract hundreds of times. At the end of the workout, our muscles are typically shorter (in a more contracted state) than when we started. It is important to return our muscle to their resting length! This is achieved with foam rolling and stretching. Instead of rushing out the door after your workout, take 5-10 minutes and stretch the most used muscles from that day. Plus, this is a great way to hang with members after the workout is done!
3-Mental Recovery:
Do you remember the first time you did Fran? Or an Assault Bike sprint workout? These high intensity bouts of exercises tax your central nervous system (CNS) which controls your mind and body for the remainder of the day. There are a few ways to “reboot” your CNS. The first is SLEEP. Make sure you are getting enough sleep daily! Aim for anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep each night. This is where the most recovery happens and is essential to recovering your CNS so you can go just as hard the next day! Also, try to take 10-15 minutes out of your day to ease your stress levels. Take a 10 min walk, read a chapter of a book or an online newspaper article, or even just close your eyes for 10 minutes! Decreasing stress levels allows you to keep a specific hormone (Cortisol) down, which when elevated can cause muscle breakdown and prevent fat loss!
Recover hard!
-Coach Robbie