Don't ignore Recovery...

Sure, exercise makes us fitter. Especially if done right and progressively. But what many don't understand is that if we don't allow our body to recover in between sessions, we are sabotaging our gains. Or even worse, risking injury, illness or burnout. Let alone experiencing disappointing performances.

Our tissues breakdown slightly with exercise but then build back stronger than before. Progressively we get stronger. Unless we continually stress that tissue again and again before it's recovered, leading to a gradual decline. A huge percentage of non-traumatic running injuries can be largely put down to overuse. Doing more than we can tolerate.

Besides, there is no fun starting today's run still stiff, sore or tired from yesterday's session. To get the most out of your session, aim for fresh legs. Especially for the 2-3 quality sessions a week in your program. A good coach can help you schedule your runs and gym sessions in order to get the most out of your week.

Adequate time between sessions, especially hard sessions, is vital but I'll take it one step further, we need to actively (actually, passively) promote optimum recovery. By this i mean quality sleep and a good diet.

I'm hesitant to use the word 'diet' as that represents a restricted calorie intake to many people. That's the last thing you want to do to promote good recovery. A good diet should include both calorie dense foods and quality nutritional sources across a wide variety of foods. Preferably limiting highly processed foods. Covering a spread of carbs, protein, fats and fibre. Yes, carbs too! They are the body's go-to energy source. Adequate calories are essential to repair and growth. If you want to lose some weight without risking injury or losing muscle mass, make sure the calorie deficit is minor and adequate protein is consumed. And seek the professional advice from a dietician. RED-S is a serious condition many endurance or serious athletes suffer from due to expended calories exceeding consumed calories during intense training blocks and can have nasty health side effects including burnout and stress fractures.

Rest: don't view it as being weak or lazy. Rest periods, recovery weeks, off seasons, cross training alternatives, as well as relaxing hobbies are just as important as those high intensity intervals. Schedule them into your calendar just as you do your training.

Sleep: Before you go out and spend your hard-earned dollars on supplements, massages, compression gear and other gadgets, get your sleep right. For those training seriously, 8 hours a night really is the benchmark. Studies show a significant increased injury risk in those only getting a regular 6-7 hours sleep a night. Sleep aids recovery, combatting inflammation, lowering cortisol (stress hormone) levels, releasing growth hormone to stimulate repair. Sleep boosts performance.  Strength, endurance, speed, reaction time, skills, accuracy. And mental focus and concentration.

Conversely, for those suffering from chronic pain, limited sleep is known to reduce pain tolerance. And delay healing.

Quality sleep matters just as much as quantity. I'm sure you've heard it all before... exercise daily, get outside daily (natural light), don’t eat heavy within 3 hours of bed, limit screen time before bed, avoid stimulating activities before bed (intense exercise, computer games), adopt a regular bedtime. Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed. Waking up twice a night to a crying baby will disrupt your sleep rhythms. It can't be avoided, just accommodate it in your program.

Be wary of sacrificing sleep to squeeze in a run at 5am before the kids wake up. If that's your only option, make sure you're in bed well before 10pm. Of course, I'm talking on a regular basis. Don't let exercise, sleep and diet rule your life completely. The social benefits of enjoying Friday night footy with mates or a wine with the girls... building relationships is part of the health puzzle. Just everything in moderation.

Be wary of doing what we used to. You might have gotten away with it in your 20's and 30's. Or before we had kids or took that work promotion. Even an offseason, an extended holiday or an injury/illness layoff negatively affects our fitness levels. Ease back in slowly and give your body a chance to adapt.

Our lifestyle has a bigger impact than we realise. Stress of all forms adds up. Family, work, financial stresses accumulate on top of our physical training. Having a physical job adds up. Recovery takes longer. Learn to listen to your body in those chaotic chapters in life, know when to back off a little.

Other ways to improve recovery include foam rolling, stretching, contrast baths, cross training, walks, stress relieving techniques (music, meditation, movie), nature, social activities.

Training errors, especially sudden increases or training harder/longer/more frequent than your current capacity, can also mess with your recovery and put you at risk. It's advisable to not progress by more than 10% each week, back off slightly every four weeks or so and don't go hard every session. More on training errors in another blog.