Recovery is a huge part of training. The better your mind and body recover, the more energy you will have during training and more progression in your skill. Throughout your life, you establish routines so your body knows when it is going to train, what days, what times, how long and it adapts to your schedule. As soon as you have an influx of events, competitions, occasions your body is thrown out of routine and this is when factors such as weight fluctuation and performance variables take effect.
This is where making a conscious effort to enhance recovery becomes paramount!
One element that influences recovery is psychological stress. The more stress you experience, the slower your body will recover from any kind of training, due to the body’s need to stay in damage control mode. By stressing out, your body remains in a ‘fight or flight’ mode, which generally means you are not letting it switch to ‘rest and digest’ which is where your recovery occurs.
Some tips on managing your stress levels include:
- Have a game plan. Re-organise your schedule leading up to any event. This way, you will know exactly what you need to do to get the most out of your training and perform well without the stress of the unknown. This keeps you prepared.
- Schedule YOU time. It’s great to be busy, but we are only human, and sometimes we need to take a moment and do something we want to do. You like playing video games? Put that in your schedule! You want to watch Netflix? Put that in your schedule! Scheduled YOU time allows you to look forward to some time off, just like your schedule work meetings or social gatherings with mates, it is great to schedule some recreational time for you.
- Take advantage mindfulness activities such as meditation. This is a time for you to reflect, and refocus your energy. A short meditation can be the difference between Zen Master and pulling your hair out! So enjoy it!