Go hard then go home and recover
Go hard or go home, right guys? I’m sure we’ve all heard that one before. What if I told you that there is a far better approach: ‘Go hard, then go home and recover’?
Recovery is such an undervalued asset, however, if you don’t pay attention to it can lead to big problems. Professional sports teams have recognised this and have made it a priority for their athletes. I read that some professional athletes like NBA superstar Lebron James and NFL great Tom Brady get 10-12 hours’ sleep a night and regularly get cryotherapy or hyperbaric chamber therapy to help them recover.
Now, when I talk about recovery, I am not only talking about taking care of your body after a strenuous workout, I’m also talking about recovery from work or stress.
Some people have labour intensive jobs like brick layers, carpenters, and painters. We all know that these types of jobs are hard on the body and require some down time. However, contrary to what most people believe, research actually shows that it is white-collar work that is more detrimental to the body and overall health in the long run. This is mainly because those that sit at a desk and stare at a computer all day tend to hold the same posture throughout the day, and the muscles that hold this posture don’t get the break (recovery) they need in order to continue to function optimally. Sitting is the new smoking.
A simple yet effective way for desk workers to aid their recovery is to get up and move frequently – somewhere around every 30-60 minutes. This is termed a ‘micro-break’, every 30-60 minutes you set an alarm or you can even download software onto your computer called Workrave (https://workrave.org/). The program locks your computer screen at a predetermined time (set by you) while showing an animated character, ‘Miss Workrave”, who walks you through various stretching exercises, and sets a daily work time limit after which it automatically triggers an action, such as suspending the machine. It’s a great program and…to top it off, it’s free!
There are many other actions that can be taken to help with your recovery, and they don’t need to be complex or time consuming:
Instead of a sit-down meeting at a café, a desk worker should opt for a walking meeting.
Instead of emailing or calling your colleague, walk around to their desk. Face to face chats are so much nicer anyway.
Volunteer to do the coffee run
Walk or ride to work if you can or at least get off the bus or train one stop early to build up your step count for the day
Stretch, do a few jumping jacks, or dance
However, those with labour intensive jobs should do the opposite and minimise activity during their breaks to allow their body some recovery. Sit or lie down and if you can, put your feet up to give your legs a rest and aid blood circulation.
Similarly, if you have gone through a stressful period in your life, make sure you take care of your mental health. Everyone switches off in different ways and you might relax better by yourself with a long bath, meditation or a good book, baking, gardening, or hang out with friends and family by having a good chat or going for a walk. Whatever unwinding the mind looks like for you, make sure you make time for it if not daily then at least weekly. If your stress stems from a traumatic experience, you might even seek the help of a professional to help you through a difficult period to allow your mind and body to recovery from it.
Pretty logical and simple rules, right? By following them you are doing your body a huge favour, you will feel better, have more energy, and you can even reduce the risk of injury. Injuries and musculoskeletal problems often take time and finances to resolve. So, why not simply avoid them in the first place with a bit of recovery work. Recovery is a form of prevention and as the famous quote from Benjamin Franklin goes: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Cheers,
Adam