3 ways to boost recovery from exercise

Brought to you in collaboration with Polar Electro Singapore and written by Brooke Turner

We’ve been emphasizing the importance of recovery over and over, but just to be sure, let’s say it again: rest and recovery are crucial if you want to see better fitness results.

While recovery from exercise may intuitively seem simple enough (exercise, rest, repeat), there are ways to speed it up or make it more efficient.

Sure, passive rest is needed and necessary, but oftentimes active recovery, meaning light activity instead of an all-out workout, works most effectively to boost recovery of both body and mind.

Here are three recovery tips that will help you recover better and faster (and see better fitness results).

1. Light activity

Staying active increases the likelihood of making healthy food choices even on recovery days and helps to keep up the fitness and health momentum even on the days we’re not training.

Next time you’re scheduling a rest day, try to add in some form of low-intensity exercise (20-50 minutes), like an easy walk or a soft yoga session.

By moving every day, you’re enforcing lifelong healthy habits.

2. Fueling

Never underestimate the importance of good nutrition (and proper hydration).

After a workout, aim to get 20-30g of high quality protein with a source of simple carbohydrates – that would be ideal as a general rule. But, keep in mind that when it comes to fueling your body, it is individual and general recommendations don’t work for everyone.

In addition to food, you can nourish your body with:

• Nutrients: Magnesium relieves muscle soreness and reduces inflammation.
• Hydration: Necessary to prevent cramping and flush the body of toxins.
• A cold shower: Cooling down the body is a recovery booster.

3. Breathing

Whether you’re taking a passive rest day or opting for active recovery exercises, breathing is a must.

Maybe you’re thinking “well, duh and haha”, but that isn’t just me trying to be funny.

Here, we’re talking about mindful deep breathing that can help you to:

• Relax.
• Manage stress.
• Boost recovery.

If you haven’t paid much attention to breathing so far, try guided breathing exercises and feel breathing work its magic for your body and mind. You can also try guided meditation, available for free on platforms like Spotify, iTunes and Google Play.

So, take a moment just for yourself, keep calm and just breathe – deeply.

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