That is often the response I hear from athletes and parents when I prescribe them rest and active recovery rather than more exercises and/or additional conditioning drills. I’m approached many times a week by athletes looking for something extra to do outside of Velocity’s walls to give them that extra couple inches on their vertical jump or ability to perform an extra 5 pounds in the bench press. What many don't understand is that your body is doing more than 90% it's growing and rebuilding after your workout rather than during.
The old adage of “if a little is good, than more is better” does not apply in modern age sports performance. Sports performance is becoming more and more scientific and strategically implemented. If you are still thinking it’s not a “good workout” unless you are pouring sweat and have vomit coming out of your nose, then you are incredibly wrong or should I say uneducated. “Old school” is not a term that binds well with a modern, and open minded sports performance coach unless you are speaking of the “old school” work ethic which young people in this generation have a thing or two to learn.
According to Google definitions, regeneration is defined as “growth anew of lost tissue or destroyed parts or organs.” The lost tissue in this situation is skeletal muscle along with connective tissue that is broken down or damaged (in a good way) by physical activity. Regeneration techniques have been around for quite a while but have never been in a user friendly package that was readily accessible to athletes or even the general public. That is where Velocity Sports Performance of Mt. Pleasant has stepped in.
Here are the top 5 ways to recuperate your muscles after a grueling game, practice, or workout:
1. Come to Velocity’s 45 minute regeneration class specifically designed to get your muscles and connective tissue back in tip-top shape. Our regeneration class is offered EVERY Saturday from 9:45 – 10:30 am. You will leave the class feeling better than ever and within weeks be seeing performance gains that you could never have imagined. It’s what the Pros do, so why shouldn’t you be doing it?
2. Try 5 minutes of contrast showers BEFORE bed. Ice baths have been used since the begginning of time but there is something you can do after every game or workout in your own home. A contast shower is 30 seconds of ice cold water followed by 30 seconds of hot water that is repeated 5 times or until you get to 5 minutes. Cold water pulls all of your body's blood to your internal organs (which protects all of your your vitals) and the hot water pulls all that same blood back out to your skin and limbs. This flushes all the lactic acid and other toxins (that cause you aches and pains) out of you muscles. If you can endure the cold water you will feel like a a brand new person in the morning. Enjoy!
3. Get at least 8-10 hours of sleep to become FASTER (according to a Stanford study)! In the study, Tennis players who slept for 10 hours per night for 6 weeks saw an 8% improvement in their sprinting speed. That could be the difference between winning a losing a contest!
4. Stretch BEFORE you go to bed. Don’t just come home after a hard fought contest and go to sleep! You will wake up stiffer than the driveway you parked your car on. There is no magic in your routine either; just minutes of static stretching (3 sets for 30-45 seconds) for all the major muscle groups (Quadriceps, hamstrings, chest, shoulders, and calves).
5. Eat and Drink your Water!!! The human body is made up of nearly 60% water in males and 55% in females, so replenish that water level to keep your body well lubricated. The common misconception of 8 - 12 oz glasses of water per day is out the window because large amounts of water are contained in healthy food options that you can consume throughout the day. You should try to consume 3-4 glasses of water after a tough workout or competition and the same amount after you wake up the next morning. A 3% loss in water weight (Only 5 pounds for a 150 lb athlete) can translate into a 30% loss in power production (That’s going from a 30” vertical jump all the way down to a 21” just because you did not stay hydrated!!!). Drink water, it’s free.
Whether you’re an adult that is a weekend warrior or an athlete that plays volleyball, track, baseball, football, basketball, tennis or anything under the sun, you should be at our regeneration classes on Saturday mornings. To sign up for your first regeneration session or if you have any questions, call us at (843) 284 – 1395. Happy regenerating!
