Importance of Recovery in Boosting Overall Health and Wellness
Recovering after a workout is like giving your body a pat on the back for all its hard work - it helps to repair and recharge your muscles so you can keep pushing yourself to reach your goals in your health and wellness journey! Not to mention, it's key in preventing injury and keeping your mobility, stability, and flexibility strong.
Did you know that long term stress on the body without recovery sends signals to your mind that you are in a threatened state? When the body is focusing on survival, studies show we produce higher levels of cortisol (which leads to belly fat). When this happens, the benefits of working out, such as the production of natural endorphins (calming hormones) are blocked, and the body focuses on survival instead of making muscle.
Recovery helps us achieve a happier mental state and primes the body to be its healthiest. By attending regular active recovery classes, we allow the body to have a lower risk for injury.
Post-workout Recovery
When you workout, building muscle puts stress on your body by utilizing its natural energy source and temporarily breaking down muscle fibers. This breakdown of the muscle is important to creating new muscle, but the body needs time to recover for that process to happen. Recovery is just as important in the process of muscle growth and maintenance.
How to Recover
Cool Down: Take time after each workout to cool down and allow your heart rate to return to normal. This relieves stress and prevents muscle soreness and lightheadedness.
Stay Hydrated: Hydrating after a workout is essential, especially if you’ve exercised intensely. Replenishing your fluid levels improves muscle flexibility and prevents muscle soreness.
Rest: It's important to listen to your body and give yourself breaks when needed. Taking a rest day after an intense workout to focus on stretching and relaxing your muscles can lead to greater results in the long run. Doing light exercises on days off such as yoga or walking can also help prevent lactic acid buildup and boost your circulation.
Recovery Classes: At CORE57, we help our clients achieve a balance by customizing a schedule that includes classes and training that focus on strengthening their body, with days that include rest, and classes that focus on flexibility, mobility and relaxation.
Mental Recovery Matters, Too
When it comes to recovery, our bodies are not the only thing we need to focus on. Our mental health plays a big part in getting stronger. Oftentimes, people are emotionally affected by their past injuries or feel defeated if they cannot reach certain goals. Each person will be affected differently, and each will have a different rate of emotional recovery. Completing exercises that benefit your physical health can also benefit your mental health by boosting your mood and releasing endorphins. However, it's also important to find a supportive community you trust to talk to about your state of mind. Focusing on mental recovery is crucial for your overall health and wellness.
Recovery Looks Different for Everyone
Recovery can look different for each person. Some may prefer a slow, meditative stretch, like yoga, while others like a more active stretch, like with our Sticks and Strength class. No matter what kind of exercise you choose for your recovery process, we recommend our clients prioritize rest and recovery days throughout the week so the body can restore and build the muscles targeted in more active classes.
Recovery and Rehabilitation After Injury or Surgery
Recovery and rehabilitation after injury or surgery are important parts of regaining your strength and endurance. It helps to reduce pain, restore mobility, regain strength, and improve quality of life. By understanding how your body works during recovery, you can better manage the healing process and return to full activity as quickly as possible.
How is Recovery Different from Rehabilitation?
Although both help you heal your body and regain strength, recovery and rehabilitation focus on different areas.
Recovery focuses on rest, muscle flexibility and joint health in the overall body to prevent injury.
Rehabilitation focuses specifically in an area of the body where an injury has already occurred and rehabilitation exercises are specifically prescribed to strengthen and support injured or weakened areas.
Mobility, Stability, Flexibility as You Age
As we age, our joints and muscles can become more stiff and restricted, limiting overall mobility and impacting balance. Maintaining a workout regimen with a mixture of strength, mobility, and flexibility training is the best way to ensure healthy aging of joints and muscles and to protect your body’s mobility as you age.
Looking for classes at CORE57 to help focus on mobility and flexibility? Make sure to give these a try:
Recover: Stick Mobility
Maximum Mobility: Shoulders & Hips
Role and Restore
Sticks and Strength
Yoga
If you're rehabbing from a recent injury or just want to work on building your overall strength and mobility, CORE57 offers a supportive environment, customized fitness programming and hands-on instruction to help guide you in your personal wellness and recovery journey. Want to learn more? Reach out today!