Recovery from Exercise: Why It Matters and How to Do It Right

Recovery is everything!

Our Senior Sports Therapist Tyler discusses the importance of recovery after exercises to enhance your overall performance.

Recovery is just as important as the workout itself. It shouldn’t be seen as just a break from training. It’s when your body rebuilds and adapts.

Whether you've crushed a long run, pushed through a heavy lift, or survived a HIIT session, the recovery phase is critical for maximising results, improving performance, staying injury-free and reducing muscle soreness (Dupuy et al., 2018).

Without proper recovery, the body remains in a state of stress, which can lead to overuse injuries and decreased athletic performance. Below are some key fundamental strategies to use when recovering from exercise:

Key Recovery Strategies

• Active Recovery: Light movement like walking, cycling, or yoga has been shown to improve circulation and reduce stiffness by promoting lactate (Lactic acid) clearance (Mika et al., 2016). It’s a low-stress way to keep your body moving while aiding repair.

• Hydration & Nutrition: Rehydrating and refuelling after a workout is non-negotiable. Replenishing fluids lost through sweat is crucial as our sweat holds so many key minerals needed for our body to function optimally. Alongside fluid intake, consuming the right food groups such as protein (20-40g post-exercise), carbohydrates and vegetables help to restore glycogen and facilitates muscle repair (Jäger et al., 2017).

• Sleep: Deep, quality sleep is essential, if you want to be the best version of yourself. It’s when your body does the most rebuilding. Quality sleep plays a vital role in muscle protein synthesis, the release of growth hormone (essential for muscle repair) and boosting recovery speed (Vitale et al., 2019).

• Stretching & Mobility Work: Think foam rolling, dynamic stretches, or mobility flows. These help to promote and maintain flexibility and joint health, helping prevent stiffness and reduce the risk of musculoskeletal overuse injuries (Behm et al., 2016).

Consistency with recovery can help you stay injury-free and perform at your best.

Tyler

Tyler Johnson - BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy, MSc Sports Science & Performance Coaching

Senior Sports Therapist

Need support with the recovery methods that Tyler mentioned above?

Book an appointment with Tyler now, he would love to serve you!

Call 0203 494 4343, email reception@svsportstherapy.com or you can also book online too!

Have you seen our YouTube channel? There's always a great exercise that can help with injury or recovery! Check it out here.

References:

• Behm, D. G., et al. (2016). "Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals." Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.

• Dupuy, O., et al. (2018). "An evidence-based approach for choosing post-exercise recovery techniques to reduce markers of muscle damage, soreness, fatigue, and inflammation." Frontiers in Physiology.

• Jäger, R., et al. (2017). "International society of sports nutrition position stand: protein and exercise." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

• Mika, A., et al. (2016). "The effect of body position on recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage." Journal of Sports Medicine.

• Vitale, K. C., et al. (2019). "Sleep hygiene for optimizing recovery in athletes: Review and recommendations." International Journal of Sports Medicine.