When your body doesn’t recover sufficiently, your workouts won’t go well either. Recovery is therefore important for your workouts, but why is that, and what happens if you don’t recover enough? Personal trainer Miia Mäenpää answered questions about recovery and offered tips for better and faster recovery.
Why is recovery important for training and stamina?
Recovery is an important part of the process because, as a counterbalance to stress (both physical and mental), the body needs to calm down so that recovery can begin and the body can return to a state of balance.
The things we do throughout the day boost our energy levels and trigger a stress response in the body. This stress response consumes energy, which puts a strain on the body. A well-rested person has more resources at their disposal, allowing them to have more energy and feel better, stay healthier and more productive, and have the stamina to work, pursue hobbies, and enjoy quality free time.
Exercise places temporary physical stress on both the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, which acutely impairs recovery. The need for recovery is determined, among other things, by the intensity and duration of the exercise. The goal of recovery is to raise performance and physical capabilities to a level higher than the baseline.
What happens if I don't recover enough?
Prolonged stress keeps alertness levels constantly high, impairing the function of the parasympathetic nervous system and may prevent recovery altogether, even during sleep. Constant busyness, unhealthy lifestyles, and excessive worrying maintain a high state of arousal and prevent the body from calming down.
Intense and prolonged stress also has a negative impact on cognitive performance, thoughts, and emotions. In addition to impairing our quality of life, prolonged stress puts us at risk for numerous illnesses.
How can I incorporate recovery into my daily routine? What about during workouts?
Stress management isn’t about avoiding stress, but about managing your overall workload. Since stress is a natural part of life—and can even be beneficial when we need to get things done and achieve our goals—one approach is to strive to find a stress balance that works for you. Stress balance means finding a balance between work and leisure, as well as between activity and rest.
First and foremost, it’s important to identify the causes of stress and the main sources of strain in your daily life. Light exercise is an excellent way to relieve stress, and it’s a good idea to engage in it during stressful times, but you should avoid any high-intensity exercise.
What factors affect recovery?
Sleep, diet, and exercise all affect recovery. Sleep plays a more significant role in recovery than was previously known. Sleep restores the body’s energy balance and recharges your batteries. Sleep also helps prevent stress, maintains your immune system, and wards off illness.
Diet affects overall health, stamina, energy levels, performance, development, disease prevention, and recovery. The quantity and quality of food play a role in recovery and in how quickly and effectively one recovers from physical exertion.
How can I speed up my recovery?
Recovery and maintenance exercise is an essential part of high-quality training, but it should also be a regular part of the daily routine for every fitness enthusiast and anyone with a busy lifestyle. Recovery exercise refers to light physical activity that promotes the body’s recovery. It increases blood flow to the muscles, repairs micro-tears caused by exercise, and removes lactic acid from the muscles. Recovery exercise promotes recovery more effectively than rest alone.
It’s also a good idea to include relaxation exercises in your workout routine. Relaxation supports physical recovery from exercise, injuries, and illnesses. Get enough sleep, and keep in mind that any physical exertion increases your need for sleep.
Adequate nutrition is also important for recovery. Properly timed, adequate, and healthy nutrition restores the energy deficit and catabolism caused by exercise and triggers recovery and tissue repair processes.
PT's Tips for Recovery
Recreational activities such as swimming, brisk walking, and stretching (Pilates and yoga) are some of the very best forms of exercise you can do to aid your recovery. Also, be sure to get enough sleep. When it comes to your diet, it’s best to maintain a regular meal schedule and focus on quality, not quantity.