Yes, you’ve likely heard it all before but we can’t emphasize enough how important your recovery is to training – as we touched base in our Drop Ten Years article. Now when I say recovery, I don’t mean sitting on your couch watching tv all day. When I say recover I am referring to active recovery, where your level of activity is easier than on heavy days. This can mean anything from doing some light weight lifting to going for a walk around the block, depending on what your fitness level happens to be. You can also incorporate different aspects of fitness like flexibility training or working on your coordination.
There are many elements that need to be emphasized for recovery:
They include your: sleep, nutrition, overall rest and overall life stresses that can impact your rate of recovery. Nutrition is the most important element in this list, as food provides you with the building blocks to repair muscles and for the vital vitamins and nutrients you need for optimal health. You need to take a look at if you’re getting in the right amount of protein for your body to adapt properly. Are you getting enough carbs and healthy fats? Perhaps you could take a look at supplementation with fish oils and vitamins to assist with recovery. Are you getting the extra sleep you need, 7-8 hours a night? Overall life stress will have a big impact on all areas. Are you over-training? Studies show that athletes perform better when they take a day of rest in between intense workouts. Everyone reacts differently to training so it’s also important to determine what you can or especially cannot handle.
Recovery is different for everyone
Every situation is different from person to person. If you exercise and your energy levels are still low, this could very well be the reason. The first step is to contact a personal trainer, nutritionist or doctor to determine if there are any health issues that may prevent you from specific methods of training. If you have any questions regarding your training or recovery then please click here to contact us. Questions are free, so why not ask us!