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The Importance of Rest and Recovery

It is a common mistake to neglect rest and recovery. Whether you just love the endorphins you get from training or believe that the harder you work the bigger and faster your results will be, you may put rest and recovery on the back burner. But not taking advantage of the benefits of rest can severely hold back your gains. If you want to learn how to optimize your time not actively training, keep reading.

What is Rest and Recovery?

To properly take advantage of rest and recovery time, you may need a better idea of how they both are defined. Rest is simpler to define as basically being anytime you spend sleeping or not actively training. Recovery on the other hand, refers to implementing different techniques to maximize your body’s repair.

Key Components of Rest and Recovery

Sleep

Getting an adequate amount of sleep is one of the most essential keys to recovering properly. Our bodies depend on time sleeping to get tons of internal work done. While you are sleeping muscles are mending, hormones are balancing, and mental wellness is being restored. Each person is different, but generally you should strive to get anywhere between 7-10 hours of sleep.

Hydration

It is a well-known fact that humans can survive longer without food than without water. This just illustrates how vital water and proper hydration is for our bodies. Being aware of your hydration even when you are not exerting yourself is critical to aiding your body in recovery. To help you gauge how hydrated you are, check the color of your urine throughout the day. The lighter in color the better. If your urine is darker and more concentrated, then this is a good sign that you need to increase your water intake.

Nutrition

Nutrition is another key element that can either help or hurt your recovery. Your personal diet should be based on your tolerances and personal experience. Keep a journal if you need to and track how different foods make you feel. There is no shortage of diet advice available today. It is best to listen to your body and go off what fuels you and makes you feel best. Then of course, there is the social aspect of food. Sharing meals and drinks with loved ones is a large part of having an enjoyable social life. If you eat clean, whole foods most of the time, indulging every now and then will not severely hurt your progress.

At the end of the day, rest and recovery is not shorthand for slacking. It is an important tool that can help you feel better and get the most out of when you are actively training. What we have ​ discussed here are just the most critical aspects to consider and implement. You can take your rest and recovery to the next level by incorporating things like cryotherapy, dry needling, and other aids. All of which we can help you with here at Junkyard Training. Give us a call or stop in today to discuss our rehab and recovery services.

Posted By Junkyard Training on 1-12-2021