Even though the definitions aren’t very specific, research shows that rest and recovery, whatever an individual defines these as, is extremely beneficial in terms of healing  injuries, encouraging mental clarity, improving focus, increasing mood and overall happiness, and reducing stress. Below are my 5 Tips for Rest and Recovery:

1. Sleep

Sleep is the most important time to recover. Adequate levels of sleep help to provide mental health, hormonal balance, and muscle recovery. You need to get enough sleep based on your lifestyle, workouts, and genetics. Here are some my favorite sleep tips to get the best sleep. Need help sleeping? Click here to learn more about my favorite sleep aide.

• Sleep with minimal to no artificial lights in the most natural setting possible
• Wake up with the sun if possible
• Fresh air and cooler temperatures help to improve quality of sleep
• Hours slept before 12 are more effective than those slept after

2. Proper Nutrition

By now, most people know that what you eat can affect your body, and many people have a love/hate relationship with food. But the most important thing to remember is that a clean balanced diet is key for rest and recovery. It’s important to remember that food is fuel, and when we exercise we burn fuel. So once we have finished exercising, re-fueling must take place to allow muscles to recover. Energy levels can increase and be restored by eating complex carbs, such as oats, potatoes, and rice. It’s also important to make sure you have the proper amount of protein for recovery. Click here to learn more about my favorite protein for muscle recovery.

The use of various supplements can also help to aid in recovery along with a balanced diet. Some examples include Omega 3, found to reduce soreness, green tea promotes weight loss, antioxidants, such as Align, reduce inflammation and fatigue and whey protein shakes can help to ingest protein quantities rapidly after exercise.

It can be difficult to make the right choices about nutrition with a busy lifestyle, but what is important is that you are enjoying the food that you are eating, and it’s important to not let nutrition rule over your life. Here are some of my tips to help you achieve proper nutrition:

• Try to eat clean foods that aren’t processed and have a balanced diet
• Plan and cook meals in advance, for example, shop for and cook all meals during one day of the week (I personally meal prep on Sundays)
• Make sure to eat complex carbohydrates (rice, potatoes, pasta) and lean proteins (chicken, turkey) both before and after working out
• Use some nutritional supplements alongside a balanced diet and remember it’s important to enjoy food!

3. Hydration

Staying Hydrated is another way to maintaining rest and recovery health. Water helps us stay energized, transports nutrients, to allowing the heart to pump blood more easily, along with many other roles. When we are dehydrated, the body is not efficient in removing toxins or waste. A general guideline is to consume half your body weight in water. For example, a 140 lb person should drink ~70 oz of water, about 9 cups. Intake should increase if there is a greater loss, such as sweating in hot and humid conditions or intense exercise.

A lot of people find it challenging to hydrate throughout the day. Staying hydrated is not as hard as you may think. It is easy to reach your daily goal water intake with foods, tea, milk, 100% fruit juice, etc. all count. Here are some fun and easy ways to stay hydrated:

• Flavor water with strawberries, cucumbers, lemon, or mint 
• Try a new tea
• Get a water bottle with lines that indicate ounces or motivating sayings such as keep drinking, almost there, time for a refill
• Track your water intake on an app such as MyFitnessPal or Fitbit
• Eat food with high water content (watermelon, cucumbers, tomatoes, peaches, strawberries, oranges)
• Increase dairy intake (skim milk is 91% water and yogurt is 88% water)
• Try seltzer water for some added carbonation

4. Stretching

Stretching is important to rest and recovery because it allows our muscles to remain flexible and helps remove tightness. It is very important to include stretching in workouts and even in day to day activities. Stretching helps remove muscular tensions and can also reduce muscle soreness after workouts. Some stretching tips include:

• Stretch before and after exercise
• Plan your routine so stretching doesn’t get skipped

5. Massage and Self Myofascial Release

Massages and self myofascial release are also good ways to improve recovery times after exercise. Although massages may not be a regular option for most since it can be costly, but it is a good option, especially after an intense workout. Receiving a massage after working out can have many benefits. Self-myofascial release (SMR), or self-massage, also has many benefits and is much more cost efficient. SMR can help you work deep into the tissue, breaking up the knots, and making the tissue more flexible. It involves using a foam roller (or tennis, golf, cricket balls etc.) to remove knots within the muscle tissue, which are caused by stress within the muscles. Click here to learn more about the lotion I use for massages and breaking up knots. Some benefits of massage and SMR include:

• Increased blood flow, allowing oxygen and other nutrients to reach the muscles and other soft tissues
• Decreased inflammation of the muscles
• Reduced muscle tightness.