If only the best recovery was a CC & Dry on the balcony with a cheese platter to graze on. Ahh, what a life that would be. But unfortunately, too much CC & Dry gives me a morning headache and too much cheese makes me bloat. So let's go back to basics.
To avoid excessive soreness and to increase recovery post workout, doing a cool down stretch or 'recovery session' is recommended by many internet keyboard warriors therefore it should be done. In all seriousness, making sure to stretch or move your body in a way to assist in toxic waste removal is beneficial for both the mind and body. There are many ways to do this, but as always I have compiled a list of my favourite ways.
1. Yoga
The perfect mix of stretching and mobility. Going through your own yoga flow post training session (of whatever you do) is in my opinion one of the best ways to recover in those precious minutes post finishing. This can include any of your favourite moves such as downward dog, childs pose, pigeon pose or a forward fold, in a flow of about 10 or 15 minutes if you have some extra time. It enables you to incorporate breathing into your cool down also which encourages blood flow and the excretion of toxic waste such as lactic acid, to move through the body and therefore allow your muscles to be in the best environment possible to recover.
2. Walking
I am an avid 10K a day gal and I love it. Walking to me in the past has been a nice catch up with friends, a moment to clear my mind and most recently used as a method of recovery. Walking at a light to moderate pace within a few hours post workout can once again encourage blood flow and toxic waste removal while allowing you to take in some fresh air and vitamin D (in my case wearing a hat, a shirt with sleeves and SPF 50 because #palelife). Tip: Walking at a moderate pace requires more movement from the body and therefore can assist in passive stretching of the joints and muscles at the same time!
3. Swimming
Swimming, or any water resistance exercise is a great way to ease that feeling of heavy legs after a lifting big or a long run. This method is knowns as 'recovery training' and is used to restore the tension and mobility in the worked muscle groups. This type of recovery should be done on the day of training and not used as a 'second session'.
4. Rest & Nutrition
The human body only knows what it is programmed: it needs food, sleep and water. The rest is man-made thoughts and routines which the human race has discovered over hundreds of years. In my opinion, an adult should be getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night (or 5x90 minute REM cycles over 24 hours), at least 2 litres of water per day (more if you are training and sweating hard!), and eating the correct micro & macronutrients each day to feed your muscles and organs. When we are talking about post workout though (the cool down phase), hydration is your number one priority. Making sure you restore your electrolytes and water within the body is so important to keep your muscles and brain functioning high. If you have issues in choosing what types of food to eat and when, just remember your year 4 PE teacher telling you about fruits, vegetables and meat. Simple.
NB: This information is in my opinion only and is aimed at the general population. If you are a high level athlete or looking for specific recovery information please seek one-on-one professional help.
If you find that none of these tips work, resort to CC & Dry and a cheese platter on your balcony. It will feed your soul and make you happier than any cool-down routine will.
PS. Move more, move better
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