Recovery Methods to Boost Performance and Prevent Injury
May 31, 2023
We hear it all the time…”You’ve gotta exercise,” “you must lift weights,” “resistance training is critical,” “do your cardio,” so and so on.
Well, while all of those statements are very true, we don’t really hear much about recovery, the various methods and tools, and its role in our health and fitness journey.
When you exercise….
Wait, let’s pause here.
When I say “exercise,” what I’m referring to is a consistent, structured, yet varied, routine that includes progressively overloading the muscles and achieving true muscle fatigue/failure combined with cardiovascular training. By training this way, you prevent the body from adapting and also create microscopic tears in your muscles that create the soreness you feel the next day, or even a couple of days later. Those tears are repaired while you sleep, thus increasing your metabolism and making you stronger.
Ok, let’s carry on…
So, if you do this to your muscles over and over and never allow them the opportunity to heal and repair, you increase your risk for injury and can develop limited mobility. Check out several methods of recovery listed below. I’m sure some are familiar to you but some may not be.
Whether you are one of those regular worker-outers or not, these methods of body care, can help you feel better, improve stamina, mobility and circulation...They can assist in decreasing inflammation, improve skin tone and cellulite and even boost your metabolism.
Recovery method #1: Stretching
Stretching is very important for keeping the muscles loose and the blood flowing easily through them. Stretching improves mobility and the overall function of the musculoskeletal system, makes activities of daily living much easier and well, it just makes you feel good! Stretching should be done on a daily basis if you really want to improve your flexibility. Holding the stretch while deep breathing enhances the effectiveness.
Recovery method #2: Massage
While most of us like a nice, relaxing massage, massages for recovery are most effective when given by a practitioner that is skilled in deep tissue or trigger point therapy. Imagine a rope with a knot in it. Now, imagine you stretch that rope…what happens to the knot? It becomes tighter and tighter to the point where it’s very difficult to untie. This often happens to the muscles in our bodies and despite all the stretching we do, the tightness is not alleviated. A deep tissue or trigger point therapist has the ability break up any adhesions that may occur between the fascia and the muscle, and can also get deep into those trigger points, or knots, and break them up, reestablishing healthy blood flow and functionality to the muscle.
Recovery method #3: Compression Therapy
Compression therapy combines three distinct massage techniques to speed up the body’s normal recovery process: pulsing compression, gradients, and distal release. Originally invented and used on cancer patients, these “sleeves” maximize circulation throughout the body to help you feel better, train hard and recover more quickly. After a session of compression therapy, most individuals feel less pain and soreness, feel lighter and more energized.
Recovery method #4: Red Light Therapy (RLT)
The most well studied mechanism of action surrounding red light therapy is increased mitochondrial energy production in the cells. Mitochondria are tiny organelles that are the energy power plants of all the cells in our body. Red Light Therapy helps the Mitochondria create more of that energy. When our cells have more energy, they simply perform better and the body follows suit! Most everyone can benefit from Red Light Therapy. The proven benefits of red light therapy include:
- Promotes wound healing and tissue repair
- Supports collagen production/anti-aging
- Reduces swelling and inflammation (pain)
- Improves joint health
- Improves physical performance, muscle recovery and energy levels
- Increases melatonin/improves sleep
Recovery method #5: Cryotherapy
Whole Body Cryotherapy involves exposing the body to temperatures colder than negative 200 degrees for three to five minutes. Cryotherapy aids in muscular and joint pain relief, speeds up recovery from an intense workout or muscle soreness, it reduces inflammation, tightens the skin and reduces the appearance of cellulite. BONUS! Cold therapy also activates Brown Fat. Brown fat is smaller than white fat and it stores energy and burns that energy to regulate your body temperature. Brown fat helps you burn calories by creating heat right before your body starts to shiver so it aids in the regulation of blood glucose and fat metabolism. In other words, cold therapy helps you burn body fat!
Recovery method #6: IV Therapy
IV Hydration Therapy is a treatment that utilizes an intravenous drip to introduce vital electrolytes, minerals, and amino acids directly and immediately into the body. IV Hydration Therapy has many benefits that alleviate and eliminate migraines, severe headaches, fatigue, athletic overexertion burnout, cold and flu, stomach bug, alcohol over-indulgence, brittle hair, dry skin, and many more.
Once in place, your practitioner begins the treatment by attaching an IV bag filled with a solution tailored to your specific set of needs. Some of the issues that can be treated through IV therapy include:
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Migraine
- Digestive issues
- Brittle hair
- Dry skin
- Athletic burnout
- Cold and flu
- Hangovers
Many men and women incorporate frequent IV therapy into their overall health and wellness routine.
Visit Activate IV and Cryotherapy right here in East Cobb to experience Red Light Therapy, Compression Therapy, IV Therapy and Cryotherapy!
