by Amanda Leibovitz
Yes, overtraining is a “thing” that can and does happen to a lot of people! But more often than not, the challenges you’re facing when it comes to fatigue and soreness (and even interrupted sleep!) are due to UNDER-RECOVERY. 👀
Ya see, when we exercise — whether our goal is strength, speed, or endurance — we create tiny tears in our muscles that allow them to grow stronger as they heal. This process is a big part of all those PRs we're chasing, BUT we can run into some serious issues if we don’t actually allow those tiny tears to heal, and there is a lot that contributes to the recovery process!
Here are some tips to MAXIMIZE your recovery and keep you performing at your best:
FOOD -- We need to make sure we’re consuming enough nutrients to fuel the healing process! This includes both our immediate, post-workout nutrition AND our overall diet throughout the day.
ACTIVE RECOVERY -- Stretching and foam rolling right after your workout (while your muscles are still warm) can do wonders to aid in muscle recovery! As we exercise and put our muscles under tension, they contract and get “shorter.” To counter this, stretching and rolling helps to RELEASE those contractions, resulting in less tightness and soreness.
SLEEP -- Getting adequate sleep is key! Research suggests that during REM sleep, the body is able to restore organs, bones, and tissue, replenish immune cycle, recharge the brain, and circulate human growth hormone, which is naturally produced by the pituitary gland during sleep and is responsible for cell growth and regeneration. Kind of important, right?!
So at the end of the day, one of my top training commandments is: Train hard, RECOVER HARDER. How will you take care of your body today?