Under a blanket to relax with Netflix for company or even for a walk in the nearby forest? Recovery is an important or actually necessary part of the everyday life of a person who works out.

Recovery can be either passive or active. Both have their time and their place in the daily life of a person who moves. In fact, the faster you recover, the faster your results will improve. Exercise creates micro-tears, acidity and carbon dioxide in the muscles - when recovering, the body corrects this situation.

Enough sleep

The basis of all recovery is that you get enough sleep. The need for sleep varies slightly, but usually 8-9 hours of sleep is recommended. My need for sleep is exactly in that bracket. People have many ways to prepare for the night tree.

I myself have experienced the practice of leaving phones and other technical devices alone well in advance of going to bed. The same routines, such as evening snack and washing, also prepare the body for good sleep. As a person of order, a clean environment, such as counters in the machine and empty table tops, calms my mind and I can go to sleep with a good mood.

Versatile nutrition

Without adequate and versatile nutrition, the body cannot recover from stress. That is, eat and drink versatile and regularly. The body should receive nutrition evenly throughout the day. Proteins, carbohydrates, fats, trace elements and vitamins keep the engine running! My meal rhythm is divided into six meals. I eat fairly clean nutrient-rich food all year round. Of course, sometimes I indulge, but the basic structure remains the same.

A regular and steady eating rhythm maintains a good feeling around the clock, and blood sugar does not fluctuate too much during the day.

Active and passive recovery

Passive recovery is, for example, massage and relaxation exercises - they restore without your own effort. Active recovery, on the other hand, is activity; it can be anything for an active fitness person to do that is different from the normal training routine. It can be daily exercise in the form of vacuuming or even a body care class.

The purpose of active recovery is to flush the post-exercise acidity from the body, keep the metabolism humming and transport oxygen and energy to the muscles, so they can repair themselves. In other words, active recovery helps the body return to its normal state faster.

My training cycle includes rest days, when I do body care exercises, e.g. using a foam roller or a fascia ball as an aid, and I go to zumba. Walking with the dog is also part of my recovery routine. In my case, active recovery means exercise, which does not include pushing until the end "with gritted teeth", but rather moving in the comfort zone, i.e. exercising in a good mood! By this, however, I don't mean that I don't enjoy my own hard training - in particular, a good recovery enables hard training and development, and if anything, it feels enjoyable.

Passive recovery in my everyday life can be seen in regular massage visits and e.g. Cool-X Cold Gel and Magnesium Spray in use. I have found these to have positive effects in the treatment of muscle fatigue after training. And yes, that fleece blanket and Netflix are also sometimes part of my means of recovery; sometimes it's nice to throw your brain in the trash and your back to the couch!

Psyche as part of recovery

If the mind is restless, calming the body is quite an impossible task. Stress caused by work or relationships may burden the mind so that the heart rate rises, breathing speeds up and blood pressure rises. Activation of the sympathetic nervous system leads to the familiar "fight or flight" reaction. Of course, it has its meaning in terms of human biology: it prepares us to act. It becomes a problem if you can't get rid of that condition.

Stress can be relieved, for example, with various breathing exercises and simply by stopping and focusing on the moment. In my life, I try to apply the idea that many things happen in life that we can't do anything about. Instead, we can choose our own attitude. Of course, it's not always that simple, but I believe that choosing positivity will go a long way!

I wish everyone an active autumn! Let's take care of body and mind with exercise, rest, nutrition and a positive mind!