Post Workout Recovery Routine

In a previous post I talked about Warming-up to workout the flipside to warming up is warming down and recovery work.

Often overlooked or not considered is the impact you can make in expediting the recovery process, as soon as you finish your last rep or step off the matt after your last roll. It pays to take time to encourage the body to go from a very excited state to more relaxed one.

Stages Covered in the video;

1. We can assist recovery mechanically by using gravity performing wall sits and shakes
2. We can address tightness accrued during training using isometrics, this work particularly well if you do a lot of squatting and bench pressing
3. Decompress the spine using various hangsm, such as bar hang or GH hang 
4. Re-establish parasympathetic dominance using deep breathing or relaxation

Key Points from video

‣Having a recovery routine is as important as having a warm-up routine but is often overlooked.
‣You can perform 1 or more part of the video don’t get too hung up and doing it all.
‣Deep breathing drills help re-establish parasympathetic dominance which is a relaxed state, as opposed to sympathetic dominance which is responsible for your ‘fight or flight’ response. If you have mastered the shoe drill than you can use wall or box diaphragmatic breathing drills as these allow for deeper breaths.
‣Switch your music to something relaxing, high BPM or load music is very stimulating you want something more down tempo.

This is an ongoing series of blog posts from William Wayland of Powering Through, who works with UFC and other high level combat athletes based in Chelmsford, UK Twitter. Facebook