Recovery time is crucial for your training benefits. It is in the recovery phase that the body rebuilds after exercise. Learn more about recovery time from exercise.
Good recovery is about eating enough, drinking enough, resting, and getting enough sleep. During periods of heavy training, good recovery between sessions is especially important to avoid overload.
Time to recover results in better performance and fewer injuries when you exercise. An athlete who trains too much, too often, and poor recovery will perform worse. In addition, the risk of injury increases.
It is critical to eat enough, drink enough, rest, and get enough sleep to ensure recovery. Food intake must cover the energy required for all the processes in the body, regardless of exercise and activity. In addition, the food must cover energy for all everyday activities and training and competitions.
The need for sleep from person to person varies a lot, but we know that age is significant. School children (6-13 years) are recommended to sleep 9-11 hours, teenagers (14-17 years) 8-10 hours, and young adults and adults (18-64 years) should sleep 7-9 hours every night. Young athletes sleeping less than 8 hours each night are more prone to injury than young athletes who sleep more than 8 hours each night. It is essential to have both the amount of deep sleep per night and hours of sleep per night. If you feel rested during the day, it is a sign that you are getting enough sleep.
Relaxation from training and competitions is vital for an athlete. Easy cycling or jogging often means only extra training and thus works against their purpose. Stretching or massage does not improve recovery either, but some people mentally relax from these measures. Good relaxation is, for example, being with friends or family and doing things that give you positive energy. This is important for all athletes regardless of level and should be supported by coaches.
Other conditions that affect recovery are temperature, altitude, travel, and time zones. At high temperatures, altitude stays, and when traveling, it is crucial to be extra careful in planning the training and recovery. Here again, the primary recovery measures are essential: enough food and drink, rest, and enough sleep.
The most important thing is to listen to your body. Are you ready for exercise? If you feel that your body is NOT resting, you should rest or perform an easier workout than planned.
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