Your Fitness: Recovery is key to reducing injury
One of the most underrated elements when it comes to reducing the risk of injury, in my experience, is recovery.
Something that is becoming more prominent in the world of health and performance is the incidence of injury. As more and more people engage in physical activity and push their limits when it comes to performance, it is somewhat expected that we might see a higher incidence of injuries.
While injury prevention programmes are progressing year after year and serving their purpose in helping to reduce the risk of injury across multiple populations, many people may be unaware of the simple things we can be doing week to week to help reduce our risk and perform at our best. After all, the idea behind most endeavours is often to feel our best and challenge ourselves to become better!
One of the most underrated elements when it comes to reducing the risk of injury, in my experience, is recovery. A lot of people may understand that recovery is important, but they may fail to understand the intricacies of how this transfers to their daily lives.
Recovery can be multifaceted in that it covers multiple areas of your life, not just your rest days. This might mean making sure you improve your sleep quality and do not deprive yourself of sleep at the expense of getting to the gym earlier. In many cases, it could be argued that it would be more prudent to get to bed an hour earlier to ensure you are well rested the next morning before training.
This may also mean completing three high-quality gym sessions during the week instead of five during weeks when stress levels are higher.
I notice this a lot with clients. People often feel that restricting themselves nutritionally is beneficial to their health and fitness journey. A lot of the time, it is not.
More time-sensitive or ambitious goals may require a more stringent approach, but for the vast majority of people who are looking to improve how they feel and perform, you need to fuel your engine. Running on fumes is not productive to your training, and it is likely to dig a hole that places you at a higher risk of injury.
A balanced diet, several high-protein sources throughout the day, carbohydrates (especially before and after training), healthy fats, and an element of fruit or vegetables with each meal to emphasise fibre is a foolproof way to ensure you are taking a proactive approach here.
Personally, I have found this to be the culprit behind the majority of injuries. Alongside my previous points, it can be the perfect storm for an injury to occur.
What I am referring to here is your training volume and load. More specifically, sudden spikes that occur without adequate preparation. Sudden increases in running mileage, sudden increases in the weight added to the bar, or trying to train every day of the week when you previously managed only one or two sessions a week.
In many cases, I get it. We get excited when we get things moving and we want to do more. Motivation is at its peak and it can be difficult to hold back.
We just need to remember that our bodies need time to adjust. They likely will not thank you for doubling their workload. Our bodies are built to move and be challenged, but we need to gradually build up from our starting point if we want to give them the best chance to adapt.
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Lastly, I would like to clarify that I am not a registered dietitian. All advice disclosed here is advisory in nature and based on my qualifications as a fitness professional, along with my personal experience and knowledge gained from working with individuals and helping them reach their goals.
The advice given is not designed to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. Always consult your physician or a qualified health professional regarding any matters relating to your health.
I hope someone out there has found some of this information useful. It is simply some food for thought.
For any questions in relation to this topic, training, nutrition, or coaching enquiries, please contact me via my business Instagram page, @coachedbycashel_, or by email at contact@coachedbycashel.com.
