Recovery is the new exercise plan

POV: As a PT and nutrition coach, I believe that your recovery plan (or lack of) is your biggest fitness mistake

You’ve put the work in, sweat out the calories and felt the burn. But what do you do after your shower to ensure you get the most out of your workout?

Research now tells us that what we do before and after our exercise is at least as important to achieving our health and fitness goals as the effort we put into our workouts.  Here are some key things that you can do to make sure that you recover quickly and take the biggest steps towards your goals.

Be HAPPY….

Hydrate, hydrate

And hydrate again!

Protein

fresh Produce

Yawn

HYDRATE - During a high intensity class you can expect to burn over 500 calories, that’s a lot of energy and for most people that is a lot of water too. Once you have wiped it off the treadmill, spin bikes or rowers you need to replace it! Dehydration can lead to cramps and headaches, but it also makes you lethargic. That feeling of exhaustion stops you carrying on your day with the bounce in your step you deserve after your workout, but it also reduces your enthusiasm for doing the next one.

It is important to consider what you consume to rehydrate. Plain old water might be boring but it does the trick and without a single calorie! Jazz it up with a few bubbles perhaps and slices of lime, lemon or orange or even mint leaves. Keeping half filled bottles of water in the freezer with slices already in it can be a great way to use up the last of that fruit and it means you don’t grab anything else when you get back from class. Fruit or green tea is also great!

But, step away from the energy drinks and soda!!!! You don’t want to undo all your hard work in one glug! Unless you are exercising for over 90 minutes at a time you do not need a sugar-laden sports drink. And in fact, science has shown that the best sports drink on the planet is low fat milk!!! – it contains far fewer calories than manufactured drinks, is a good source of easily-digestible protein (see below) and has lots of other nutrients.

PROTEIN - Your body needs protein to aid its recovery from exercise, whether that is to repair your muscles after you have pushed them or build new ones! There is a golden hour after your workout when this is particularly effective and if you can get some easily-digestible animal protein into you then, you will be well on your way. This is where diary comes in…. yes guys and girls, that flat white is part of your recovery plan! Milk, yogurt (not too high in sugar) or a sensible portion of cheese are ideal.

Fresh PRODUCE - The food you consume while you are recovering from exercise is important. Get those vegetables, nuts, seeds and beans, complex carbs (eg brown rice, wholemeal bread and sweet potatoes), eggs and meat into you! Your body will reward you giving it the vitamins, minerals, fibre, carbs and protein it needs with a post-workout bounce and glow and all the energy you need for your day and your next class!

And then YAWN it out!  Rest and stretching is fundamental to a successful workout regime. GO TO BED! Rest isn’t slumping on the couch with doom scrolling, it’s going to bed to get a good 7-8 hours of sleep EVERY night. And have at least one non-workout day each week. Go for a gentle walk or swim, play with the kids in the park, but don’t push your body. It needs to rest and have time to repair and build muscle, if you don’t give it that you won’t reach your goals and you risk injury.

We should also all be doing at least ten minutes of stretching every day to help our repair our muscles and maintain mobility – this you can do in front of the TV or as part of your wind down before that early night!

Treat your body well after your workout and your will reap the rewards you deserve!