Sleep
Good sleep is the #1 thing I need for proper recovery. Your brain, muscles, metabolic systems—your whole body—needs sleep to maintain top performance. There are lots of references for improving sleep, and I have found podcasts with Here are the main tips that help me get the best sleep I can:
- Consistent bedtime and wake-up times: Your body prefers to follow a circadian rhythm, and I notice my best sleeping patterns when I get to bed and get up at the same time
- Box breathing: Doing a deep, box-breathing pattern of about 3-4 seconds is enough to help my parasympathetic system take over and fall asleep (inhale for 3-4 seconds, hold 3-4 seconds, exhale 3-4 seconds, hold 3-4 seconds, repeat)
- Body scan: Scanning my body and consciously releasing muscle tension while letting my body sink deeper into the mattress helps me fall asleep. This is a way to focus on mindfulness and let my body know that it’s time for sleep
- A pocket for persistent thoughts: If my thoughts insist on remaining active because I had a stressful day or I have something big the next day, then I put those thoughts safely into a pocket to hold them for the night. I’m not ignoring them or trying to forget them; I’ve saving them for the next day after I’ve had a good night’s sleep
- Cool sleeping environment: The body’s core temperature decreases several degrees while you’re sleeping, and I find keeping a cool sleeping environment can help me stay asleep for the whole night. There are various ways to support this, such as turning the thermostat down or opening a window. There are also cooling devices designed for your mattress that I find helpful in the warmer months since we don’t have air conditioning (reference here)
Mindfulness and Meditation
Being mindful and meditating are wonderful ways connect with your body and surroundings while calming your mind. Being mindful can be as simple as scanning your body and focusing on your senses. From head to toe, how does your body feel? If you’re sitting, how does the chair or mat feel? Meditation can be as simple as monitoring and guiding your thoughts. Is a thought or emotion persistent and creating stress? What is it telling you? How do you want to respond to it? Once you’ve learned from it, what other thoughts might be more helpful, or would you prefer to quite your mind and enjoy the present moment? This may take some getting used to, and a regular practice has been shown to be more beneficial (reference here). It is my favorite way to start my day. I love to monitor my heart-rate variability (HRV link to gadgets article) as I start my morning meditation.
Massage including Myofascial Release
Foam rolling or rolling with a lacrosse ball or Moball roller are all great ways to release tension and increase blood flow before and after work-outs (link here). I will get out the roller several times a week or more often if I have particular muscle like my calves that need attention. If available, a therapeutic massage from a sport medicine therapist is ideal for recovery or maintenance (link here).
Cold Therapy
Cold whirlpools or ice baths are another way to help the body recover from workouts. The benefits include lowering inflammation and improving the body’s ability to burn fat to generate heat. Studies have shown that cold exposure increases brown adipose tissue (BAT) which can burn regular fat to warm the body. My experience is that cold exposure at least once a week 24 hours after a hard work-out supports my recovery, and it also keeps me acclimated to swim in cold openwater without a wetsuit. There is also recent research indicating that cold water exposure can provide some protection against diabetes (reference here). I am fortunate to have several cold whirlpools available in my area, and I also have a bin in my backyard that I fill with ice and water.
Sauna
The sauna is my favorite way to relax after a work-out and allow the body to detox. I’m fortunate that the gym I go to has a sauna, and often the sauna session after my work-out is a big motivator to get to the gym (reference here).
Red-Light Therapy
I started hearing about red-light therapy (red and near infra-red) a couple years ago, and just in the last couple of months they have started to appear at the gym. I have been trying it now about three times a week, and I am noticing an improvement in recovery and energy levels after work-outs (reference here).
