Your guide to recovery: 10 must-know questions answered

Recovery isn’t just about resting your muscles, it involves taking care of your mental health and fuelling your body in the right way.

When you prioritise recovery, you’re not just helping your body to heal, you’re also improving your mood and reducing stress.

Sleep is an essential part of the recovery process, as it allows the body to repair and regenerate both physically and mentally. While we sleep, the body releases growth hormones that promotes muscle repair and recovery.

A balanced diet also plays a pivotal role in our recovery. Findings reveal that individuals who focus on nutrition and sleep can reduce muscle soreness and fatigue, leading to better performance.

However, findings show that 45% of Brits aren’t getting the recommended seven hours of sleep each night, which is essential for bouncing back after being active.

So, to make sure you’re recovering in the right way for you, we asked Jonny Kibble, Vitality’s Head of Physical Activity and Exercise, and Health and Nutrition Coach, Andrew Isaac, to answer your burning questions on the best way to support your recovery.

What can I do to help my recovery straight after a workout?

Jonny: After exercise it’s important to incorporate a proper cool down into your routine.

The aim is to bring your heart rate down and flush products, such as lactic acid, out of your muscles and bloodstream. This can be done by walking and slow movement, such as a gentle stretch to relax worked muscle groups.

When you’ve cooled down, look at how you can support your recovery through food. Carbohydrates and protein are a great source of energy to help replenish lost muscle glycogen and to repair and rebuild muscle.

What does ‘good’ recovery look like?

Jonny: Feeling fresh at the start of each session is a sign that you’re adequately recovered. If we complete a similar previous session, we’ll be able to perform at the same level if not better.

Symptoms of an inadequate level of rest and recovery to watch out for are:

• Difficulty getting our heart rate up than usual
• More aches and pains
• Feeling physically and mentally lethargic
• Our general performance is low (speed, endurance, strength, etc.)
• Muscle stays sore for longer periods post-training
• Struggling to sleep by overtraining.

How can I reduce muscle soreness?

Jonny: I’d recommend stretching, foam rolling and ‘active recovery’. These are accessible to all and don’t require you to purchase any fancy or expensive kit, other than a basic foam roller.

Gentle stretching and foam rolling have been shown to help reduce post-exercise soreness. The phrase ‘motion is lotion’ when it comes to active recovery rings true here; the more we move, the easier it is to stay moving and the better we feel.

Also, keeping our bodies moving through gentle activity on the days after a hard session can really help us get back on track.

Are saunas and ice baths good for our recovery?

Jonny: Ice baths and saunas have been a popular go-to in for wellness and recovery in recent years, with many being built in gardens.

Whilst not being a replacement for quality sleep, nutrition and a training plan that incorporates rest, they can help to boost recovery depending on your goals and the specifics of your situation.

Saunas essentially help to dilate blood vessels delivering more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles to reduce soreness.

Ice baths have the opposite effect. They reduce localised blood flow and can decrease levels of inflammation immediately after exercise.

However, research suggests that the effectiveness of ice baths might be less significant for some athletes compared to other recovery methods, such as active recovery or proper nutrition.

It’s recommended to use the sauna 24-48 hours post-exercise for 15-20 minutes to get the best results.

Ultimately, the best recovery may include a combination of methods tailored to your specific needs and preferences.

Listening to your body and considering your personal response to these approaches can help guide you in optimising your recovery routine.

What are ‘recovery weeks’ and how often should I do it?

Jonny: It’s important to take recovery weeks. When training we accumulate fatigue not only from a single session, but over weeks of being active back-to-back.

The general recommendation is to take a rest week between every 3-6 weeks to ‘absorb’ all the previous weeks’ training and lower systemic fatigue so you’re feeling ready to go again in your next block.

Remember, a ‘recovery’ week isn’t a complete week off, it may just be that you lower your total volume by half.

So, for example, doing two gym sessions or runs that week when you usually do four. This will allow your body to recover whilst still maintaining your fitness.

Should I practice mindfulness to help my recovery?

Jonny: Incorporating mindfulness into our daily lives, whether we’re in bed or walking to the shops, is a great way to aid recovery as our mental and physiological wellbeing are connected.

Doing at least 10 minutes of meditation and 5 to 30 minutes of breathwork a day helps lower stress and relax the central nervous system.

At Vitality, our members who do 10 minutes of Headspace mindfulness get Activity points, and a maximum of 6 per week.

How can nutrition support my recovery?

Andrew: Firstly, it’s important to understand how different food categories affect exercise and nutrition.

Carbohydrates are quick-releasing fuels that are suitable for short spurts of physical activity.

Fats are slow-releasing nutrients that can help you stay full while exercising, whereas protein is mostly required for recovery.

Protein comprises of amino acids, which serve as building blocks for the recovery of damaged muscles, skin, hair, and bone. We cannot create these themselves, therefore we must get them from food such as meat, soy, legumes, cheese, pulses and dairy.

So, depending on the workout, you may need to add a mix of fast-releasing carbs, followed by protein if you're performing a long distance run or HIIT class. This is because they are forms of cardiac exercise, they must be refuelled and repaired.

Protein is the primary source of recovery for muscle gain and weight training since it is a muscular growth activity.

Why not try James’s BBQ burrito bowl for a fast protein-rich meal that all the family will enjoy.

How important is hydration?

Andrew: Water helps transport nutrients and oxygen throughout the body, aiding muscle recovery, regulating body temperature, and replenishing minerals lost through sweat.

Adding electrolytes or consuming a drink containing them will help your body get the minerals it needs.

The key mineral is sodium, which helps lessen the effects of muscular cramping and accelerate recovery for a rapid turnaround in performance.

How much sleep should we have?

Andrew: When we sleep, it allows our bodies the time to repair, recharge and the time needed to function optimally physically and mentally for the following day.

Sleep deprivation affects not just our physical performance but our moods, mental health and the choices we make. Try to get a consistent routine with our sleep and aim for 7-9 hours of good quality sleep.

Also, limit your alcohol and caffeine as this will hinder the deep sleep REM that we need to aid recovery.

How can we avoid common recovery pitfalls, such as overtraining or not enough rest?

Andrew: Planning ahead is one way to ensure that we make time for rest. This can be done by using a fitness diary and allocating which days are active and rest.

And why not add to your journal notes to help track your sleep, hydration and protein goals.

Beginners should start by having three training days a week and could have a rest day in-between to avoid overtraining, burnout, and lack of motivation.

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