Despite our varying genetics, lifestyle habits and other risk factors that may contribute to exercise tolerance, bodily repair and recovery speed– there are general activity guidelines by which most people can optimise their recovery and maximise what they achieve from their health/fitness endeavours.

Include some type of lower impact physical activity or exercise in your routine.

While we all want our exercise program to achieve the greatest results in the shortest time possible, for many of us, a lot of this time can be wasted trying to catch up on our progress when recovery slows down.

The most effective and efficient exercise programs aim to fit in activities that aren’t placing the body under duress and assist in restoring our energy for the next workout.

Walking and cycling are low impact tasks that can to help get blood to recovering muscles/joints to flush out toxins, get air into the lungs and offer some mental downtime from vigorous workouts that take a toll on the nervous system.

Foam rolling, Self-Myofascial Release, Self-Massage, SMFR or whatever you’ve heard it called before.

These techniques have been around for years in the health and fitness industry, however we still aren’t quite sure how it works to improve outcomes relevant to recovery or performance. Nonetheless we still see increases in range of motion, reduced muscle soreness as well as faster turnaround from strenuous workouts to allow us to keep up with high training demands.

Largely, the theory behind why SMFR works is based on the same science of how massage and manual therapy techniques are effective when applied at the right time in the right person.

One of the best speculations we have is: that pressure exerted on target areas is signalling the brain to send “Relax” messages back out to our muscle and joints. The important thing is it works!

Perform some type of stretching, whether it’s before, after or separate to activity entirely.

Stretching usually is thought of as a method to increase flexibility and range of motion, although similarly to foam rolling, we aren’t quite clear on what stretching is actually doing or how it works.

The mechanism for relaxation, reducing threat-of-movement and protective postures is likely similar to massage, foam rolling or other manual therapy. The important thing, is finding a routine of stretching that works for you and fits into your schedule well enough to be regular.

It appears the greatest benefit of any stretching variations (static holding, dynamic warm up stretches or more aggressive techniques) are found with consistency rather than a one-size fits all approach.

If you feel you need some direction on how to structure a stretching program get in touch with RH today !

Breathe.

With roots in ancient Ayurvedic & Eastern Medicine controlled breathing techniques and can be an effective way to enhance recovery both during and after exercise as well as throughout the day.

Specifically, slow breathing techniques have been shown to regulate stress hormones and combat the physiological response to the high demands of daily life.

You might want to practice slow breathing after your workouts, after a stressful situation or at the end of the day to wind down if you know your daily physical or emotional demands are high.

Keep an eye out for our Blog on breathing if this is something you’re interested in.

Go outside and get in touch with nature.

Breathing fresh air does wonders for the human cardiorespiratory system, particularly for those who spend prolonged time in polluted areas or confined air-conditioned spaces. While being physically in contact with ground has some early, yet surprisingly good, evidence for improving health outcomes through reduced pain, inflammation and stress hormones.

This is thought to be due to the earth’s natural electromagnetic charge, although being barefoot in the grass may also simply feel good – good enough to spike your feel-good chemicals (dopamine and serotonin) to help alleviate the bodies stress levels.

Take advantage of the sunshine when it’s available.

Believe it or not, over 30% of Australians have some degree of deficiency in Vitamin D.

Being in an area with high pollution, consistently using sunscreen, spending more time indoors, living in big cities where buildings block sunlight and having darker skin may all reduce Vitamin D absorption which can affect the body’s ability to repair the bones and muscles.

While we need to be mindful of potential UV damage with excess exposure, particularly in Australia, direct sunlight exposure in moderation can be vital to our body’s normal function and post-exercise recovery– provided we follow dosage guidelines.

Keep in mind that if you already present with risk factors for any disease or have already been diagnosed with a chronic condition – a little more thought may need to be put into the way you structure eating, physical activity and lifestyle habits to optimise recovery. If this is the case, you should consult with a healthcare professional with expertise in exercise regarding the best way to manage your health.

If you’d like more information on any of the information above or would like to get a better understanding of how movement can be used as medicine for you, keep an eye out for more content like this or get in touch for a personalised plan of action today.

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