Taking Care of Yourself?

Time to revisit the topic of rest, recovery and mobility and the positive, positive impact they have on training. 

We all know CrossFit workouts are intense.

They typically target the entire body.

They vary in impact, but overall, they're challenging and we take a bit of a beating each time we workout.  (in the best sense!)

YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!

Please, oh, please, oh, please make an effort to:

1.  HYDRATE-  General consensus here is to drink 1/2 your bodyweight (in pounds) in water each day.  That doesn't include any other beverages- pure water.  Helps with inflammation and getting rid of metabolic waste after working out.  Here's a re-post of an older mobility WOD video with KStar emphasizing the importance of WATER:

 

2.  MOBILIZE- Using a lacrosse ball, a foam roller, a rumble roller, bands, etc. help hey-ugely!  The rolling out of the muscles "unglues" the fascia and helps your body move more efficiently and reduce soreness post-workout.

3.  ICE-  Ditch the ibuprofen, guys.  It will eliminate the pain, but it doesn't aid the recovery process. If you're super sore or have a tweak somewhere, befriend the ice pack!  At our mobility cert, KStar suggested 4 minutes, 4 times a day to reduce inflammation.  A bag of peas isn't the same as a big hunk of ice (the veggies defrost too quickly).  Taking a freezing cold shower or bath (incredibly painful and uncomfortable, YES...) is also a valid option.  The coldness causes constriction of the blood vessels and then when the body warms up (on its own after the shower or bath- don't warm the water back up before getting out) the muscles are flooded with blood to help heal the sore areas.

A re-post from Whole 9 Life on the ice bath:

Ice, Ice Baby from W9

 4.  SLEEP- Now this is a tough one for many, I realize.  We all tend to be overcommitted in too many areas of our lives, but getting adequate sleep provides ENORMOUS benefits cognitively, emotionally, and physically.

Sleep- an Undervalued Ergogenic Aid from Whole 9

A worthy read!

 Again, injuries and tweaks can occur when:

- an athlete is underrecovered

- an athlete uses poor form on a movement

- an athlete uses too much weight during a workout or not enough assistance to perform movements correctly (chasing that "Rx" instead of pushing oneself at his/her current capabilities)

- an athlete has mobility and/or flexibility issues.

DEFINITE possible overlap here.  Having tight hips or a weak back or a floppy foot (sorry- had to put that in there... ha!) can prevent moving correctly and cause an athlete to compensate. 

8 Signs You are Overtraining from Mark's Daily Apple

Thanks to Martha Mac for letting me know this flow chart has been floating around on Facebook.  Robb Wolf's "Is This Paleo?" for your enjoyment!

 Skillet Sweet Potato, Sausage, Spinach Hash from Multiply Delicious

Beyond Easy Pulled Pork from EveryDay Paleo 

 RESULTS FROM MONDAY!

1 minute row for calories

1 minute toes-to-bar

8 rounds; 16 minutes of work

 Betty and Guy Smiley walk away with top scores for the day!

Countdown is On!

4 Down.

1 to Go!

See you Wednesday night at 7:15 PM, Guys!