CrossFit is a kind of madness with a method. Those who love this type of training push themselves to the limit. They often ask more of their bodies than they should.
A common malady of the Crossfitter is a failure to recover adequately from extreme exertion. With any kind of sustained physical activity, it’s 100% necessary that we program in time for our bodies to recover and rebuild.
Just as you work different parts of your body on different days to allow muscle fibers to rebuild, CrossFitters need to take a step back at programmed intervals to rest.
Let’s examine the critical art of recovery for CrossFitters. For readers who fit that description, I hope this helps you find the time to let your body recover from your herculean exertions.
Survival mode isn’t progress
Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean to say you should. But CrossFitters are a breed apart, focused on pushing their bodies as hard as they can, believing this results in gains in performance.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
In fact, not giving your body ample time to rest becomes dangerous when the tendency is sustained over time. The more you do this to yourself, the less likely it is your body is going to protest to the point of injury and illness.
When your body has had enough, it goes into survival mode and that isn’t progress. It’s the opposite of progress, undermining any you’ve made.
How to recover
When you’ve pushed yourself too hard, your body will protest in numerous ways. You may feel lethargic and unmotivated. You may also be gaining fat on your body, despite working out and eating nutritiously. That fat is your body’s way of telling you it’s struggling to survive in adverse conditions.
That’s why recovery is not the least important, but the most important aspect of a training schedule. Recovery begins the moment you realize you’ve gone too far and start making some changes.
While most CrossFitters practice good nutrition and supplementation, many tend not to prioritize it, but nutrition is especially crucial.
Nutrition
Did you know that the juice of half a lemon squeezed into a glass of warm water can support liver function? It also helps your body wake up in the morning.
That’s a simple thing, but it’s something you should be doing every day when you’re training.
Something a little less simple is ensuring you’re getting adequate complex carbohydrates to support your overall health and training. Many CrossFitters are carb-depleted, which impedes recovery and can cause the reduction of healthy glucose in the body.
Sleep
Most modern people are sleep-deprived and CrossFitters no less so. But sleep is when your body does its most miraculous recovery work, so improving the way you sleep matters.
Simple hacks like not watching TV or reading in bed re-create your sleep space as a place of serenity, where you fall asleep readily and sleep soundly, through the night.
If you’re a CrossFitter needing professional medical support for healthy recovery, contact us.
