Many don’t give proper recovery a second thought. They just think recovery is about rest and how much sleep they get at night. Why is that? Is your sleep all that really matters when it comes to your post-workout routine?

This is true for people of all ages. Young athletes ignore it, and my clients who are from older generations don’t realize how it can impact their health and fitness. Proper recovery isn’t just an issue athletes need to consider. It’s important no matter your age or fitness level.

You may not realize that you’ve been recovering wrong this whole time, and that’s why you aren’t reaching the next level of your comeback.

Proper recovery is about far more than just sleep. There are multiple factors that come into play when regarding recovery, and focusing on these things will ensure you are able to get the most out of each workout and reach your best results.

If all you focus on is activity and you think recovery is nothing more than a good night’s sleep, then you’re not seeing the big picture. Your recovery efforts play a big part in your ability to reach your fullest potential. Even if your goals are to move better and have more energy, it’s impossible without the proper recovery routine.

Proper Recovery Takes Practice!

It may sound strange to you, but the practice of recovery is vital and ensures you are doing the most you can to avoid burnout. Proper recovery is about so much more than just rest and once you understand the need to prepare properly, it will be a game-changer in your comeback story.

Proper recovery encompasses:

Sleep
The repair of muscle tissue
Re-fueling
Re-hydrating
Flushing lactic acid and other by-products from your system
Stretching and re-lengthening muscles

There’s even more to it than that, but these are the main factors we rely on daily to ensure our clients are reaching their fullest potential possible.

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When you don’t have proper recovery habits, you put yourself at risk for burnout. — When you have a proper recovery routine, you put yourself at risk for burnout.

You must recover appropriately for the stage you’re in.

If you’re just starting your comeback journey, recovery may take longer and you may need more time between workouts. You will need to pay special attention to what you eat, your routines, and other aspects of recovery.

However, if you are further along in your comeback journey or you are, let’s say, training for a half marathon, then your recovery routine will look much different than someone just starting out. Also, your recovery will need to be different earlier on in training for a race than it is just prior to a race day.

When you don’t recover appropriately, you put yourself at risk for burnout.

If success has been difficult to obtain during your comeback, you could be burning out – not burning up! Burnout is what will keep you from reaching your goals, and more importantly, your greatest potential.

No matter your age, burning out will keep you from reaching your ultimate goals, slow you down, can cause injury, and much more.

Burnout can also impact your longevity and your ability to live a long healthy life. If your body is breaking down due to improper recovery, then it will be difficult for you to obtain the benefits activity can have on living a longer life.