Prioritizing Recovery

Setting distance goals and working hard to achieve them is empowering, but feeling exhausted and sore can really take a toll on your motivation. Here are a few tips to help you feel better and recover faster:

1. Cold Therapy-taking a cold shower or room temperature soak is an excellent way to reduce inflammation and speed recovery.  

2. Stretch-Stretching after a workout can help keep muscles flexible, reduce soreness, and prevent injury.  

3. Hydration-Drinking water with electrolytes before, during and after your workout will help you stay hydrated and aid in recovery.

4. Rest & Sleep-Giving our bodies enough rest and sleep after working out are essential for healing and recovery. Allow your body time to rest after a hard workout and aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night.  

5. Massage & Foam Roll-Massage is an excellent form of self-care, allowing you to de-stress and release tension. Foam Rolling is an excellent way to “self-massage” helping to reduce inflammation, decrease soreness and increase joint range of motion.

6. Eat Good Food-Eating foods high in protein, complex carbohydrates and good fats will help you feel better and recover faster.

7. Just Move-Although your first instinct may be to do nothing, being sedentary can actually increase muscle stiffness and perpetuate fatigue. Gentle recovery exercises like walking, swimming or biking can promote circulation and enhance blood flow, which can help with recovery.  

So keep setting challenging goals, just be sure to take good care of yourself by prioritizing recovery along the way.