Introduction to Recovery , The best 5 ways | By Fitness Coach Yuvraj Salvi

Recovery can be best described at the time between two training sessions. Elite level athletes use this time in the most efficient way. With the rising popularity of sports and countless tournaments in a sporting season the importance of recovery cant go neglected. When neglected, we see athletes underperform and often injured.
Today, I am giving you 5 best ways that you can enhance your recovery post training sessions.

1. Sleep

Recovery can be as simple as having a 8 hours sleep every night. But sleep quality also matters as much as sleep quantity. Which means sleep must have minimal disturbances & minimal toiled breaks with ample hours.
It has been reported that there Is a rise of 60% injuries in athletes who sleep for less than 8 hours every night.

2. Training, Nutrition & Supplements

Training program must be planned properly by a strength and conditioning coach who will provide evidence based & scientifically backed training programs with proper recovery time. This way you become accountable to what you are doing in terms of training.

Proper nutrition & supplementation is also necessary to improve recovery & provide with utmost results. You would want to consult a sports nutritionist who has detailed knowledge in helping individuals in sport to achieve their goals. When training & nutrition is in check then one may consider taking supplements.

3. Massage/ Body Therapies

A dynamic compression helps improve circulation of blood throughout the body. Better circulation means better delivery of oxygen to the muscles. There are different types of massage therapies on the market. Trying out 2-3
different variations of massage therapy and then choosing which one suits you is the best way to figure out. The frequency of taking a massage can be as frequent as once every 2 weeks and can be as long as once every 2 months. My personal picks when choosing a massage therapy are cupping, ultra-sound, sports
massage, gua sha therapy (blade massage), dry needling.

4. Heat & Cold Therapies

Heat therapies consists of sauna, spa & hot water shower which can prove beneficial for recovery. Hot water therapy provides warmness to the body. It also increases blood flow & relaxation in the muscles.
Cold therapies consists of ice-bath, ice packs & cold water shower. When body comes out of a exercise session it has a lot of wear and tear. Cold therapies reduce the inflammation that has been caused due to training. The muscle
tissues contract when ice or cold water is applied to it. This enhances the repair of muscle tissue.

5. Compression

Compression garments (tight shorts, socks, etc) work by compressing the under- lying muscles and squeezing blood out of the muscles. Therefore, this extra blood flow helps to remove metabolic waste products from muscles. Compression pants & socks are often worn by athletes who have long airline travel to stop
swollen ankles & lower legs.

A study by Nick Gill also showed that compression garments were effective in reducing the muscle damage much more than doing nothing. There are also mechanical compression machines which help increase blood
flow.

Link to Nick Gill’s study:-

https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/files/8691353/PID7930.pdf

Why is it so important?

Recovery is important for every active individual. For a athlete its importance is 10 times more as performance is the first priority & at elite level there is a lot of money involved. Therefore, hard work needs to be complimented with good recovery as both go hand in hand. To achieve all this proper planning is necessary.

Yuvraj Salvi