Work Hard, Recover Hard

It is no secret that the workouts we do at CrossFit are very challenging. Some more than others, but I don’t think anyone ever leaves the gym thinking “Man that was easy” and if you have, more power to you. This is hard work but it is work that you will benefit immensely from. Although working out is beneficial to your body, it also contributes to the cumulative wear and tear that your body experiences as a result of all of the stress in your life. This could be anything including your work, family situation, to an unexpected life change. While I am definitely not suggesting that you stop working out to eliminate this stress it is important to acknowledge that you need to balance your workout-induced bodily stress with recovery in order to obtain the full benefit from all of the work you are putting in.

Rest is simply the absence of training. When you feel banged up and take a day off from coming into the gym you are resting. What this does not constitute is recovery. Resting is a part of recovery, but it’s not the complete picture. Recovery is an active process, or steps that you take to restore your body back to “normalcy.” Now that we’ve differentiated between rest and recovery, ask yourself, “Am I just resting, or am I recovering?”

If your answer to the above question is “Resting” it’s time to take action. Below are steps you can take to actually recover as opposed to just taking a rest day.

• Take 1-3 complete rest days per week (no physical activity where your heart rate increases more than it does walking up a flight of steps). The number of rest days per week will depend on the total stress in your life, your “training age” (how long you have been coming to CrossFit/ doing high intensity workouts or sport), and how you are recovering from your workouts. If you feel tired, sore, or sluggish during or after workouts, you may need to add additional rest days.

• Sleep 7-9 hours per night. Some people need more sleep than others. If you are experiencing an especially stressful week due to things going on at work, with family, or just have worked out really hard, get more sleep, not less.

• Put away your smartphone/ electronic devices one hour before bed at night. Use this time to do a relaxing activity, like reading, light stretching, taking a epsom salt bath, call someone you enjoy talking to (this is the exception for phone use) or just spend some time with friends or family playing a game or talking.

• Eat a nutrient-dense diet with foods that will support your athletic recovery – this includes adequate protein and carbohydrates, anti-inflammatory fats like omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish and certain nuts and seeds. Micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals found in foods) are just as important as macro-nutrients (protein, carbs and fat) when it comes to cellular recovery and repair from oxidative stress in the body.  Abandon the “It fits my macros approach” (AKA donuts for carbs) and choose real, nutrient dense foods.

• Make time for mobility. For each hour you spend at the gym each week, try to devote 15-20 min to stretching and mobility. This could be done on your own before or after class, watching a ROMWOD, or going to a group yoga/ mobility/ stretching class.

• Make low impact movement, like walking or riding a bike at a comfortable pace a part of your daily routine. Ideally, this isn’t something that you set extra time aside for, it is something that just becomes an added part of your routine where you can add it in. Going out to lunch? Walk, don’t drive. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Bike instead of bus or drive to work if you can. Spending the 23 hours of the day where you aren’t working out sitting/ sedentary will not lead to optimal recovery and movement patterns.