Recovery

As a full-time fitness instructor one of the biggest challenges for me is keeping my body fresh and ready for the next workout.  I have days where I teach 4 classes and then the next morning have to be up at the crack of dawn to teach another class - not a lot of time for my muscles to recover!  I'm also the type of instructor who likes to do the whole workout with my class.  I need to know what the intensity is like and any time I've been at a class where the instructor just barks orders, but doesn't do the workout themselves I get very frustrated with them.

So what's a girl to do to make sure she's ready for the next class?  Here are a few good ways to aid recovery:

1.  Eat and drink properly.  You need high quality nutrients before and after your workout to ensure your muscles are able to recover properly.  I have a Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer before my workout and then a Vega Sport Performance Protein shake right after (in my car).  The shake before gives me energy to get through the workout and gets my body ready for fat-burning action, and the shake after provides my muscles with the amino acids they need to be able to repair the 'damage' I just did.  Then within the next 2 hours I have a proper whole food meal complete with a healthy protein, healthy fat and healthy carb (usually fruit or vegetables).  I also make sure to include something raw with each meal (fruits and veggies).  I always make sure to start the day with a big glass of water and then continue to drink lots of water throughout the day.  If you're dehydrated your body will not function properly!

2.  Get your rest.  I can't always get all the hours of sleep I need at night, so I do my best to work in a nap everyday.  I try to keep it to 30-45 minutes, but sometimes it goes longer (4 hours once!).  At night I always take melatonin to make sure I get quality sleep.  Melatonin is a sleep hormone that occurs naturally in our bodies as a response to darkness.  Unfortunately once it gets dark outside we humans turn on lights, the TV our computers, etc. which disrupts our body's ability to produce the amount of melatonin we need to get a really good night's sleep.

3.  Cold water showers.  This can be a bit rough, but what I do is after my shower I take down the shower head, put it over my leg and start slowly turning the water to cold.  Once it's cold and I've caught my breath I keep the cold water on each leg for about 30 seconds.  It's startling at first, then you get used to it and then when you step out of the shower your legs feel so refreshed!  Another way to do it is to go to the ocean or a lake or any naturally occurring body of water really and walk right in.  I learned about the benefits of cold water for recovery from my cycling coach and it really does work!

4.  Cool down right after your workout.  I never skip the cool down and not just because it's part of my job to cool down my participants.  When you cool down and stretch properly you help to flush out the metabolic waste that's built up in your muscles in response to the exercise you just did. 

5.  Get a massage.  Massage should be a regular part of your fitness regime.  Massage helps to remove that metabolic waste that's built up in your muscles. 

6.  Take some time off.  Sometimes you just have to take time off.  Even though I love what I do and could quite happily forgo any vacations I know that my body does need some down time.  I'll be taking some time off in September to go on a bike tour of Puglia with some friends!  I'm looking forward to some days of easy, pleasant cycling with an awesome group of ladies :)

Try some of these recovery methods (or try them all) and let me know what works best for you!