Often, we can find ourselves focusing so much on exercising regularly and engaging in various forms of exercise, to help us achieve our fitness goals, that we often forget about the importance of fitness recovery. While of course, we all know how important it is to be active and have physical activity as part of our routine, it is crucial that you have rest days as well.
No successful fitness regime is complete without the inclusion of a break from physical activity, and this is because the benefits that you can experience as a consequence of fitness recovery are so crucial to your overall success. Here is everything that you need to know about fitness recovery and why you cannot afford to live without it.
Boosts flexibility
While there are different techniques and methods of fitness recovery, regular use of a foam roller can help to increase blood flow to the muscles which is crucial to the recovery of your muscles after a workout. Rolling on a foam roller pre and post-workout is proven to help stretch and loosen the muscles and result in a boost in your flexibility.
Flexibility is an important part of your overall health and wellbeing as it will help your posture and daily form, as well as boosts your performance when engaging in particular exercises. If you regularly find yourself struggling with certain exercises and positions, then it could be explained by poor flexibility. Therefore, by using a foam roller as a form of fitness and muscle recovery you can develop and improve your muscle strength over time.
Helps to prevent injury
We know how it feels once you have the bug for fitness and exercising. You cannot wait to get back into the gym and feel great after another training session. However, sometimes it is important to know when to stop and take a break.
Failing to give your body the opportunity to recover can cause serious damage and lifelong consequences for your muscles and joints. Muscle recovery can help to improve your range of motion as well as flexibility, meaning that you are less likely to have an accident or strain a muscle which could result in potential injury.
Remember that injuries can be completely debilitating and deliver a serious setback to your training schedule and progression.
Eases muscles stiffness and soreness
While a strenuous training session may seem like huge progress for your fitness and development it will take its toll on your muscles and joints, causing them to be stiff and sore. DMOS, delayed onset muscle soreness, can hinder your fitness journey progress, and require you to rest your body. Rest alongside muscle recovery such as foam rolling can help to improve your circulation, repair any tissue that has been damaged, and ease that post-workout discomfort.
Helps mental health
After months in a COVID-19 induced lockdown, it has become more important than ever before that we take our mental health just as seriously as we would our physical health. While exercising is great for your mental health, because of the endorphins that physical exercise releases, you should be sure to not overdo it. Instead, you should find time to relax and recuperate both your mind and body.
Many fitness goers find a lot of comfort and relaxation in massage therapy which has a great effect on their mental health. However, muscle recovery equipment can also help to ease muscle pain and promotes muscle recuperation, and with items such as a massage gun, you can reap the benefits from the comfort of your own home.
It is important to remember that fitness recovery is just an important aspect of your training schedule, and by having the right equipment on hand to aid your fitness recovery you could boost your overall performance.