The Science Behind Rest & Recovery
We eat, sleep, work out, repeat — but somewhere in there, we need to actively rest in order for our bodies to recover from what we demand of them. Understanding what it takes for your body to fully recover is important and can be explained by thinking about the process of homeostasis.
Homeostasis is a state of balance within the body that is maintained by self-regulating biological systems that adjust as outside variables (stressors) act upon them. Think about body temperature; your body may rise a couple of degrees when working out but also regulates that temperature by activating your sweat glands to make you cool off. When stressors threaten the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis, recovery to restore homeostasis is necessary.
Basically, recovery is a process that includes rest, refueling through nutrition, rehydration, regeneration, resynthesis, reduction of inflammation, and restoration that ultimately brings the body back to balance–or homeostasis.
What Causes the Need for Workout Recovery?
Muscle soreness is a consequence of working out. Muscles grow and become stronger when they are subjected to forces that cause microscopic tears in the muscle fibers. Fluid rushes to the area to flush out the damaged cells and build new, stronger muscle cells — and that can be uncomfortable.
Delayed onset muscle soreness can set in anywhere from 12 to 48 hours after a workout. The soreness is a sign that your body is getting used to working out, but too much muscle soreness can limit mobility and lengthen the recovery time thus impacting your ability to make progress. This is why recovery after a workout is so important.
Typical Ways to Recover After a Workout
Hydrate: Rehydration is essential to recovery, especially if you broke a sweat during your workout. Restoring fluid levels in your body improves muscle flexibility, builds strength, and helps with soreness.
Stretch: Taking five to 10 minutes to stretch after a strenuous workout can release muscle tension and help with soreness.
Nutrition: Eating carbs and protein after a workout helps your body rebuild glycogen and regrow muscle proteins faster.
Sleep: Getting enough sleep after a workout to recharge is very important. Seven to nine hours is recommended for most people.
All of these workout recovery strategies may help ease muscle soreness, but what if there were some interesting and innovative ways to recover faster? There are.
Three Innovative Ways to Aid in Faster Workout Recovery
Following the methods mentioned above to improve muscle soreness after a workout may help in time with recovery, but there are some ways to make your recovery faster and reap a few extra benefits along the way.
10X Health’s Superhuman Protocol
The 10X Health Superhuman Protocol uses the natural forces of magnetism, oxygen, and light to improve the healing power within your body. Following the superhuman protocol may lead to faster recovery and improved athletic performance, as well as offer a plethora of other benefits.
Magnetism
The superhuman protocol begins with laying on a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) mat to stimulate the body’s natural healing processes. The PEMF device may improve circulation, reduce inflammation, and boost cellular energy production — all of which help in muscle recovery.
Oxygen
Oxygen helps repair and rejuvenate muscles. After the PEMF treatment, your cells are primed for oxygen absorption. Breathing in highly concentrated oxygen while you do light exercise increases the amount of oxygen in your bloodstream. This process is also thought to increase metabolism, improve cardiovascular health, and help with weight loss.
Red Light Therapy
Red Light Therapy (RLT), exposes areas of your body to low levels of red or near-infrared light with the aim to help improve the energy production of your cells. With better energy production, the body’s cells may be able to work more efficiently to increase blood circulation, stimulate collagen production, and reduce inflammation. Since inflammation is what causes muscle soreness, and increased blood flow and circulation aid in muscle recovery, RLT does promote faster recovery after working out.
RLT also has many other potential benefits especially related to the look and feel of your skin. When exposed to low-level wavelengths, like with red light, the skin undergoes a regenerative process as the cells are stimulated and able to rejuvenate and stimulate new growth. The look of acne, wrinkles, and scarring may all be improved with RLT.
Peptide Therapy
Peptides are strings of amino acids that are the building blocks of proteins. There are a lot of different peptides within the body, close to 7,000, and they all have different functions. Certain types of peptides benefit the skin, muscles, weight, immune system, etc.
10X Health offers peptide therapy that may accelerate muscle recovery, aid in tissue repair, reduce inflammation, and promote muscle growth and fat loss. These peptides are CJC+Ipamorelin and BPC-157. We also offer peptide therapy to support many other conditions and symptoms.
Cold Water Immersion
As mentioned before, working out intensely causes small tears in your muscles which are the root of muscle soreness. Ice baths may reduce inflammation and improve recovery by changing the way blood and other fluids flow through your body. When you sit in cold water, your blood vessels constrict; when you get out, they dilate (or open back up). This process helps flush away metabolic waste post-workout and reduces the soreness of your muscles.
The 10X Health Pro Plunge takes cold water immersion to the next level to enhance recovery and revitalize your body faster after a workout. The Pro Plunge has the ability to heat water or cool it down, is portable, and is easy to maintain and use. Contrast water therapy can not only help you recover faster from workouts, but it’s thought to reduce inflammation, increase blood circulation, increase metabolism, boost your immune system, and help you sleep better.
Rest and recovery after a workout are crucial for maintaining a routine and seeing progress in your wellness journey. Using some innovative ways to speed up and improve your recovery will get you back to your workouts faster, and in better condition.
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Want to know more about how to sleep up and improve your recovery after workouts? Contact 10X Health today!
