Optimum recovery is key for any fitness enthusiast from an Olympic weightlifter, crossfit athlete, football player, general fitness, runner etc… Recovery from a previous workout not only gets you feeling refreshed quicker but allows you train harder sooner. Over the past 12 years through my experience as a NYC personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach, I’ve been exposed to various recovery methods such as:
- Contrast baths
- Active Release Therapy
- Chiropractic care
- Acupuncture
- E-Stim
- Ice Baths
*Some tools I use to warm up and for recovery
While all these modalities are great to use, unfortunately it’s a bit more tricky to utilize, in a small boxed in apartment that Manhattan and the boroughs offer. Such as an ice bath- most new yorkers barely have space in their fridge for x3-4 days worth of food, let alone a few bags of ice or even a bathtub… With that said I believe a few of the tips below will help many NYC fitness enthusiasts, personal trainers, and athletes expedite their recovery.
Band Stretches
I’m a big fan of band stretches, they allow you to hit spots you normally wouldn’t be able get and allows you to focus traction based stretching = bad ass stretch! It’s also a simple, cheap, and VERY effective modality for recovery.
Stretches like this thoracic stretch is very effective to help you open the upper back up, especially for those that sit down for a long period of time:
Here’s a great hip flexor stretch:
Compression Bands
I was introduced to compression bands about 2 years ago from one of my weightlifters. At first I was very skeptical but after a few tests, I found it to be highly effective and very specific.
The premise is that you wrap the band around an area then move the joint through a range of motion. The band tightly compresses the muscles, then you once move through a range of motion the friction breaks up all the “junk” between the muscles. The compression band is great not only because you feel and immediate relief but it also hits areas that a foam roller or lacrosse ball can’t typically address and in a different way- give it a try and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
Before you jump into this make sure not to wrap your face, neck, torso, or abdomen. And because this WILL cut off your blood supply, to an extent, make sure that you unwrap it before you get that “tingling” sensation. If you have any contraindications please talk to a doctor before you utilize this or any of the modalities stated in the blog post.
More info about compression bands HERE.
Epsom Salt
The use of epsom salt for recovery has been debated. From anecdotally evidence, working with many athletes and my own use, I’ve found it to be very effective. In my experience, I’ve found it to help me relax, feel better- sooth the joints and muscles from a hard workout, and helps me sleep better. These alone will help in the recovery process, whether if it’s from the absorption of the magnesium sulfates or from a warm bath, it seems to work.
So can you absorb magnesium from an epsom salt bath? According to the research of Waring et. al of the University of Birmingham, it does. They concluded that bathing in 400-600g of epsom salt had significantly increased their blood sulfate and magnesium levels in the body.
You can read the epsom salt research here.
Hydrate
I’ve been talking about the importance of water for a while now through our social media and blog posts. So I’d obviously have to include it on a blog post about recovery too :p
We know that water is VERY important, you can live without food for a period of time but not water, we all need water. Staying hydrated allows your body to run efficiently, whether if it is to cool you down from a hard workout or to help with digestion.
In this study by Cleary et al, showed skeletal muscle microdamange were exacerbated in dehydrated participants. Bottom line, drink more water through the day, and if it’s a particularly hot and humid day make sure to drink a bit more water then usual. It’s also important to note that you don’t have to reach for the sport drinks such as, gatorade, most exercise enthusiasts will benefit greatly from just drinking water instead of adding in more calories through gatorade and other sport drinks.
That’s it for today, stay tuned for Part 2 down the road!
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Stay strong,
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