Maximize Your Recovery Day
Whether you play a professional sport or you’re a master’s weightlifter, ultra-endurance athlete, bodybuilder or just like to exercise recreationally, you are all working out so hard, so often, that your body is literally breaking down.
While muscle breakdown is part of the process to get stronger, the other (and often neglected) part is about repairing your muscles and your mind.
Looking for some guidance to maximize recovery day?
Take a look at our top picks for your muscles and your mind.
Recovery Day for Your Muscles
The concept of taking a recovery day isn’t new. But recently we have heard a new emphasis on “active recovery” This means that you’re not just using your rest day to lounge on the couch, but moving your body around in a way to optimize muscle recovery.
In fact, that’s what sets pro athletes like Aaron Gordon apart from all the rest; it’s not how hard he trains, it’s how hard he recovers. “Without adequate rest and recovery, even the best training program in the world will not yield the results you want,” says Celebrity Trainer Jordan White.
When it comes to training Aaron, he says, “All of the tedious “little things” make a big difference overtime.”
So, what does an active recovery day look like? So many recovery modalities are out there beyond the foam roller that are just gathering dust under your bed. The best recovery strategy is going to be the one that works for you.
Experiment with different options such as: taking a hike, yoga, stretching, a light body weight workout, swimming, etc.
See some of our favorite muscle recovery apps below and check out our blog for more great ideas, “Top 10 Best Muscle Recovery Tips that Actually Work.”
- Nike Training Club- Nike Training Club is a free fitness app with workouts-on-demand. The workouts are in the form of videos with trainers who guide you through a variety of sessions such as endurance, strength and even mobility and yoga for muscle recovery!
- Yoga Wake Up- Yoga Wake Up is designed to replace your bad daily habit (scrolling social media) with a new healthy one (practicing 10 minutes of morning stretches).
- Daily Yoga- Suitable for all levels, Daily Yoga offers more than 200 guided yoga classes. With step-by-step instructions, the app progresses you to master poses in a safe way.
Your Mind Needs a Recovery Day, Too!
Science and research has finally begun to prove what yogis and monks have known for centuries: mental recovery strategies, like meditation, can help to relieve stress and even improve serious medical conditions.
In fact, a 2014 review of 47 trials that observed more than 3,500 people concluded that meditation practices reduced subjects? anxiety, depression, and pain. Not only that, but it can also help improve sleep…and therefore performance.
Looking for some guidance to start meditating? Check out our favorite mental recovery and meditation apps to help you find one that works best for your recovery day.
- Headspace- Breathe in. Breathe out. Headspace is a meditation app to help you relax, sleep and manage stress. They offer a free 10-day beginner?s course that shows you the essentials of practicing mindfulness on a daily basis and provide the option to upgrade for a more personalized experience.
- The Mindfulness App- Meditation shouldn’t be stressful. If you’re new to the concept, The Mindfulness App can help with that. They offer a five-day program of short sessions that cover how to focus on your breathing, let go of tension, filter out sounds, calm the mind, and develop appreciation.
- Calm- Although this app comes with a price tag, Calm lives up to its name by providing guided meditation and series on breathing and sleep.
How Do You Recover?
The most important thing to understand is that while a workout is beneficial, your body doesn’t actually benefit from it until you recover.
To be the best in your own sport, you need all the help you can get. And that’s where YOLKED comes in. Even Orlando Magic’s Aaron Gordon agrees, “YOLKED is a special product that can help any athlete reach new heights. I am impressed by the depth of clinical research behind the product and it’s potential to unlock new levels of performance for athletes of all levels.”
Unlock your body’s protein potential and help your muscles recover at their best.
See for yourself!
- Read more benefits about YOLKED!
- See the science and research behind YOLKED!
Order YOLKED online, through Amazon, or find us at your local Vitamin Shoppe.