4 Recovery Techniques That Maximize Every Workout!

Hello!! HAPPY Monday :D
How are you?! Did you have a good weekend?! Did you see the blood moon eclipse last night?! I'm SOOO bummed because I missed it :( but many people have posted AWESOME photos on Facebook! Thank you for sharing!!
I want to apologize for not posting on Friday! It ended up being 1 of those crazy days where I was running nonstop and couldn't catch up with my computer to write a post!! My Fridays aren't usually like that, but unfortunately, it happens sometimes! Again...SORRY for not posting!!

I'm enthusiastically looking forward to this week! This week is the beginning of October!! I LUV October for a handful of reasons and it means eating PUMPKIN everything :D Bring PUMPKIN On...lol!!!
It's also a FABULOUS time to access your fitness goals for the holidays! The holidays are quickly approaching!! WOW...hasn't this year gone by at lightning speed?! I must be getting oldER...lol :D

Today's post are 4 recovery techniques that maximize every workout ;)
For the most part, fit people can bounce back from a moderate workout within 24 hours, says physical therapist Robert Forster, the owner of Phase IV Scientific Health and Performance Center in Santa Monica, California. During that time, your body resets itself: Hormone levels rebalance, inflammation goes down, liver and muscles stock up on fuel, cells rid themselves of lactic acid and other waste products, and muscles and connective tissues lay down collagen and patch up tears. But a killer boot camp session might require 48 hours or more to recoup from fully. "And it could be 72 hours before you regain your entire range of motion," Forster says.
That's why it's important that you limit intense workouts to 3 days a week, and if you're doing daily resistance training or CrossFit, plan your routine carefully so you're not challenging the same muscles in the same way each time. That holds true for any exercise you're doing several days a week. Give your body a break by changing up your pace, intensity, and distance and by adding cross-training. "Overdoing it creates hormonal havoc, endocrine burnout (when chronic stress, in the form of too much exercise, overtaxes the system, making it less responsive), and injury," Forster explains.
How you structure your routines is just part of the equation. What you do after can maximize the body-shaping effect of those sessions. Try the following 4 techniques for recovering faster and stronger, and you'll see the results not only in the renewed power of your reps but also in the sculpted body they carve.

1. ICE RIGHT AWAY; HEAT THE NEXT DAY. Ice for 10 minutes after a tough workout (so, ice your shoulders after a WOD loaded with clean and jerks). This slows blood flow to the area, which thwarts inflammation and swelling, says Alyssa Alpert, the head athletic trainer for the New York Cosmos men's professional soccer team. Keep icing throughout the day if you're really sore. With stiffness or spasms, which might kick in the next day, use heat, suggests Nadya Swedan, M.D., a physiatrist in New York City. "The warmth speeds blood flow to the area, relaxing muscles." Take a hot shower, use a heating pad, or apply a ThermaCare HeatWrap, which is sized to fit specific muscles and stays warm for up to 8 hours.

2. FOAM-ROLL, THEN STRETCH. Rollers help increase circulation and relax knotted tissues; stretching returns muscles to their normal resting length and helps line up new collagen fibers that your body creates during recovery," Forster says. The National Academy of Sports Medicine says to roll before getting bendy, because the pressure helps turn off overactive muscles so you can stretch them more easily. During your cool down, target the major muscles that you used and especially those in the lower body and back for 5 minutes, rolling slowly back and forth along the length of the muscles. Next, stretch the same areas, Alpert says. Later, go back and hit your entire body or zero in on still-tight areas with the roller. When you find a tender spot, don't roll; stay stationary and breathe deeply for 30 to 60 seconds.

3. EAT PROTEIN AND CARBS SHORTLY AFTER YOUR WORKOUT. 30 to 60 minutes post-workout is the window when your muscles are primed to take in protein to start the repair process and carbs to refuel. "Make sure that within 30 minutes you have a snack containing 10 to 20 grams of protein and a 1 to 2 or a 1 to 3 ratio of protein to carbs," says Andrea Vintro, R.D.N., a dietitian specializing in sports nutrition in Portland, Oregon. She suggests a cup of low-fat yogurt and a small banana for a total of 14 grams of protein and 40 grams of carbs. Eat the same ratio again within about 2 hours, unless you're having a meal. To rehydrate, down at least 2 to 4 cups of water during this time as well. "Studies show that with rest and a balanced diet, your muscles glycogen stores can be replenished in about 24 hours," Vintro says.

4. SLEEP WELL; KEEP MOVING. Lack of sleep leads to fatigue, depressed immunity, and higher stress hormone levels, which all make for a crappy workout, Dr. Swedan says. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of quality shut-eye a night. If you've scheduled a workout but are feeling fatigued or achy or your muscles have that heavy sensation, that's your body telling you it hasn't recovered. Take a rest day, but don't just sit around. "A little activity will help flush out any remaining lactic acid and keep your muscles loose, particularly if you're working out hard every other day," Alpert says. That means stretch, hop on a bike for 15 minutes, or do yoga ;)

Are you ready to MAX OUT your next workout?! Lets do it!!
If you have ANY comments about this post, I'd luv to hear from you :D
Have a FITastic couple of days!
SEE YOU right back here on Wednesday!!