If you work out often, you know it’s important to take time to rest and let your body relax a little between workouts. A recovery period is the amount of time you take between workouts. This period of time is when the benefits of your physical activity take place in your body. Without a recovery period, your muscles won’t be able to build, repair, and strengthen in the ways you want them to. Although exercising is unquestionably necessary, your healing time is also critical in helping your body to achieve the results you desire. Contact Eastside Sports Rehab in Bellevue, WA today to meet with a physical therapist about adding recovery period treatment into your workout routine!
The importance of a recovery period
Your body is put under pressure when you engage in physical exercise. Since the tissues are overworked during this strain, they are “damaged” in several ways. Rest and rehabilitation help your tissues to regenerate and heal, as well as re-establish the vitality you lost when working out. A recovery time is required for your tissues to become accustomed to this type of exercise, particularly if it is something you want to do on a regular basis.
This is also known as the “Principle of Adaptation,” stating that your body becomes more efficient after it recovers and strengthens from the stress of exercise. Essentially, this states that your cardiovascular system improves, your muscles become stronger, and your ability to reach new physical heights improves during a recovery period, as your body is adapting to the exercise it is taking part in.
Nonetheless, any physical therapy can warn you that so much tension is bad for the body – there is a point where the line of transition is crossed and the body gets damaged. That is why understanding how and when to take a proper recovery time is important.
Short term versus long term recovery periods
If you are a dedicated athlete who works out all year, you will have two forms of rest periods: long-term and short-term. A long-term rehabilitation time is usually determined by the type of physical exercise used in your fitness routine, when “rest days” or even “rest weeks” would be built into your year-round calendar.
You may also have recovery breaks for specific areas of the body when working on another. A physical therapist or trainer will help you build a long-term treatment time routine if you are a highly committed athlete in order to meet your goals and produce optimal success during the year.
No matter what kind of competitor you are, a short-term turnaround time still looks the same. In reality, short-term recovery times begin immediately following each workout:
- Replenishment: You lose a lot of energy when you work out, so it is important to replenish your body afterward. Your physical therapist can make recommendations for post-workout meals that will help with your recovery period.
- Cool-down phase: After a high-intensity workout, it is important to do some low-intensity exercises in the days that follow. This will help in maintaining the elasticity of your muscles, preventing them from tightening up and cramping.
- A good night’s sleep: Getting the right amount of good sleep is the final component of short-term recovery. The most progress is seen while you are sleeping since your body is able to heal better when you’re unconscious. Resting your body is important, but so is resting your brain – quality sleep is a crucial component in being able to see the desired results of your recovery period.
Am I overtraining?
Without proper recovery periods, you may “overtrain” yourself. Many athletes get caught in this vicious cycle: you feel fine, but you miss your rest period. But then you see your results slipping – what do you do? You continue to work out, skipping the rest hours. As a result, success starts to deteriorate even more, and routines become more challenging. If you notice that your benefits are diminishing no matter how much you exercise, this may be your body’s way of reminding you that you need to take a rest.
Overtraining may also manifest as fatigue, exhaustion, or injury. This will happen if you don’t give yourself adequate rest time in workouts, if your recovery times are insufficient for the intensity of your workouts, or whether you don’t give yourself enough replenishment or sleep after a workout.
Call us today for an appointment!
An Eastside Sports Rehab physical therapist may assist you with developing a proper treatment time schedule. Whether you’re recovering from a sporting accident or just struggling to keep up with an intense exercise routine, healing times are critical to your success. Perhaps you weren’t even aware you’d been overtraining and are looking for advice – whatever the case might be, we’re here to help. Schedule an appointment with one of our Bellevue, WA physical therapists today to get started on your recovery schedule for hitting your peak physical performance!
