Today we're talking about rest & recovery.
I actually prefer the term active recovery because these days will be most effective if we make a conscious effort to give our body what it needs to rebuild.
Some of my favorite ways to do this are:
- Hitting the Sauna to reduce inflammation in joints muscles and tendons.
- Restorative Yoga sessions. These are gentle flows where we connect deeply with the breath and body, and move in ways that break up any stored tension. Check out this flow for inspiration
- Foam rolling / deep tissue rolling. You can use a foam roller or even just some tennis balls to work on knots and tight areas that can't be easily relieved with just stretching alone. Here's how I use this on my lower back when my sciatica flares up.
Key Insight: Awareness
Going back to point 2 above, awareness of one's own body can be transformative when flowing through Yoga poses or performing calisthenics exercises.
I talk a lot about "Developing your own practice", because no teacher will know your body better than you do once you've developed a deep sense of awareness and connection to your body.
This is why I love incorporating Yoga into my training protocols because at the heart of Yoga, it really is about developing your own personal practice that is completely unique to you.
You still need to be shown the way, learn the poses, exercises, disciplines - and this is a lifelong quest.
But at some point, you will embark on your own journey of inner exploration that is also endless.
Coach ChazFounder, THENICS LAB