Recovery Tactics-

1. Foam rolling

This is the process of myofascial release through mobility work. There are many types of foam rollers, but the most effective one for deep tissue work is a rumble roller. This is equipped with ridges all along side the roller. Find a tight spot that is sore, and breathe into it. Also, the pain point may actually be caused by an area upstream or downstream from the actual area.

2. Sauna

Saunas are excellent for recovery. Heat exposure has been shown to increase muscle hypertrophy, or the gain of muscle strength, and mass. It also helps you to keep muscle better when not exercising. Sauna exposure causes thermal stress in the body, which causes the body to release heat shock proteins to increase cellular antioxidant capacity, and enhance mitochondrial function.

3. Cold thermogenesis

This tool can be great for recovery. After exercise, you have an inflammatory response, followed by an anti inflammatory response. Cold thermogenesis can aid in both of these processes. Research shows that if you are recovering from endurance training, then it would be wise to integrate cold therapy afterwards. If your doing strength training, then it actually can blunt the hormetic response to exercise, or reduced recovery. The acception would be to wait 2 hours after the session, or do a quick session of 2-5 minutes afterward. So, it depends on the training, and the amount of time doing it. You can incorporate a short bout of cold, 2-5 minutes after all training for recovery.

4. Proteolytic enzymes

These are protein digesting enzymes that get in the bloodstream and breakdown fibrinogen, which is a waste product of muscle breakdown. These are best taken on en empty stomach so they don’t digest your food instead of helping you recover. Some great brands are Kion Flex, and Masszymes.

5. EAAs

EAAs (essential amino acids) are critical for recovery. This is because all 9 EAAs are required for muscle protein synthesis. Most foods have a relatively low amino acid utilization profile. Eggs being the highest at 48%. When you use a supplement, it’s going to be 99% utilization.

6. Meditation

Think of meditation as brain training. Being able to stay focused throughout the day in a world of distractions is invaluable. Meditation can reduce cortisol, which is your bodies main stress hormone. There are many different forms of mediation, but the most common type is mindfulness. Simply sit quietly where you won’t be disturbed, and observe your thoughts. Do not judge them, just notice them. Being aware of your thought can help you change them, and even still the mind. The more relaxed we are, the more energy we will have for healing the body.

7. Earthing

In a report investigating the effect of earthing on recovery after eccentric exercise, the experimental group had much lower creatine kinase than the placebo. Creatine kinase is a marker of muscle damage. In this study, earthing has been shown to decrease markers of muscle damage and inflammation. The study participants also experienced less of a decrease in performance.

8. Photobiomodulation (red light therapy)

PBM has been shown to significantly repair muscle damage after exercise. Also, it’s been shown to enhance mitochondria. Mitochondria are cells that produce energy. They convert food, water, and oxygen into ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Red light therapy can increase the amount of mitochondria, as well as boost their function.

9. Fasting

Fasting increases growth hormone to protect the muscles, which is also a very important hormone in recovery. It has been shown to help recovery from endurance exercise as well. Lastly, fasting 1-2 hours after training can increase the anabolic hormone response to exercise because insulin will blunt testosterone secretion.

10. Knowing your purpose

Why did I put this in here? This is because when you have a single minded focus and are in a state of flow, you make better decisions when it comes to nutrition, sleep, exercise, and recovery. You have a reason to do it all, and are more likely to stay with it, thus getting more consistant results.