The Essentials of Recovery

Eating well? Getting enough Sleep? How can you get that extra edge?

Most young athletes believe that if they simply lift weights more often, they will automatically get bigger and stronger. A high-quality session followed by optimal recovery will lead to much greater adaptations than non-stop lifting. Additional ways to gain an edge over other athletes is by having the intent to recover better than them. Most young athletes, and many elite, do not eat well, sleep enough or generally think about how they can help their body feel and move better.

Anthony Kjenstad, founder of Athletic Recovery and Performance explains his take on nutrition, "If I can sum up my nutritional philosophy in a phrase it would be eat real food. Eat a ton of fruits and vegetables. Eat a wide variety of beans, nuts, seeds, legumes, meats and whole grains."

Recovery from a strenuous workout is not laying on the couch for two straight days playing Fortnite. A healthy lifestyle includes light to moderate physical activity every single day. Go for a hike, play a little basketball, go to the pool, ride your bike, take a long walk, etc. Light physical activity is not going to stop your body from being able to recover. Research has shown that light physical activity can actually temporarily reduce pain from DOMS (Delayed-Onset-Muscle-Soreness), which can aid recovery. Just because you aren't training does not mean you should cease all movement.

Now, let's talk about the essentials of recovery... Read the full article on recoveryfirefly.com