4.5 Ways to Recover From and Prevent Injuries

As an athlete, I train a lot each week. Every night after I am done coaching 7-8 classes each day, I meet Mary at the gym and we lift weights together for over an hour. I also train in Kickboxing/Boxing 4 to 5 times per week and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu twice per week. In total, that’s anywhere from 15 to 20 hours per week. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not complaining! I choose this lifestyle. But at close to 40 years of age, my body is pretty damn sore! Since I’m not 20 anymore, I need to be careful in how I approach my training with regards to warming up and making sure that I prevent injuries as well as making sure I recover from the week’s training. No matter what age, ability or level of experience, we all need some form of recovery from our training. Otherwise, we’ll over-train which can lead to injury, fatigue, burnout, build-up of the stress hormone Cortisol and can even cause sickness.
So, to keep both my body and mind in peak fighting shape for the long haul, here are my 4.5 Ways To Recover:



1. Sleep: (My favorite.) Many studies show that most people do not get enough sleep. We’re a nation that burns the candle at both ends, a society that stays up all night to work or play. However, going without sufficient sleep can cause both short and long term negative effects. Lack of sleep can effect judgment, mood, ability to learn and retain information, and has been shown to increase the risks of accidents. In the long term, sleep deprivation can lead to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even early death!
While you sleep, your body is literally repairing itself at the cellular level. As you get your “ZZZ’s”, your body is releasing hormones like HGH (human growth hormone) which literally helps to repair tissue that has been damaged through training, sun exposure, stress, pollutants, etc. By getting enough sleep, your body will be patched up and ready to go for the next day’s training sessions. But that’s not the only reason you need to get sleep. Here are few more benefits of getting your 6-8 hours of “ZZZ’s” each night:
· Improves Memory
· Aids in Cancer Prevention
· Reduces Stress
· Reduces Inflammation
· Helps You Lose Weight
· Reduces Risk of Depression
· Gives You More Energy During the Day
· Reduces Stress Hormone Cortisol




2. Hot Tub: Hot tubs have been around since Roman times to help relieve the aches and pains of a typical Gladiator Day. By relaxing in a hot tub, your body releases endorphins, a natural chemical in the body that helps to alleviate pain. Also, because your body is being submersed into water, your body weight is reduced; this means that your heart has to work less to pump blood to the muscles making recovery time quicker. Getting in a hot tub a few times each week/month can go a long way in keeping away aches and pains. Here are a few more reasons to use a hot tub regularly:
· Reduces Arthritic Pain
· Reduces Blood pressure
· Reduces Risk of diabetes
· Relaxes Sore muscles
· Reduces Stress
· Helps Induce Sleep (but not in the tub!)
· Reduces Stress Hormone Cortisol




3. Ice Bath: Cryotherapy ("cold therapy") constricts blood vessels and decreases metabolic activity, which reduces swelling and tissue

breakdown. Once the skin is no longer in contact with the cold source, the underlying tissues warm up, causing a return of faster blood flow, which helps return the byproducts of cellular breakdown to the lymph system for efficient recycling by the body. (You got that, right?) "Ice baths don't only suppress inflammation, but help to flush harmful metabolic debris out of your muscles," says David Terry, M.D., an ultrarunner who has finished several 100-mile races.
Though you could use individual ice packs, cold-water immersion generally produces a greater and longer lasting change in deep tissues and is more a more efficient means of cooling large groups of muscles simultaneously. The discomfort associated with sitting in a tub full of ice water scares off some athletes. I admit that after my grueling training sessions, I’d rather have a hot shower and bowl of pasta than an ice bath. However, I have found that the post workout ice baths do wonders for my sore joints!
Here’s the how and why of ice baths:
· Use method after a training session
· Simply put cold water in your bath tub
· Add ice if you want
· Immerse yourself for 10-20 minutes
· Keeps inflammation down in sore muscles
· Keeps inflammation down in sore joints
· Treats both injuries and soreness

4. Massage: If you’ve ever had a massage, than I really don’t have to explain to you how great it feels to get one. My girlfriend Mary and I regularly give each other massages. She’ll walk on my back a few times each week and I will massage hers a few times each week as well. For us, it is not just a way to get closer, it’s an actual need because of all of the hard-core training we both do!! But, if you don’t have someone who will give you a rub down for free, there are several businesses out there who have a monthly membership program like our boxing gym in which your payment is made automatically and you’ll just simply schedule your massage accordingly. They’ve made it about as simple as it can get! And, just in case you’ve been living under a rock, here are the many benefits of getting massages:
· Reduces Heart Rate
· Lowers Blood Pressure
· Increases Blood Circulation
· Flushes out Lactic Acid in Sore Muscles
· Relaxes Muscles
· Improves Range of Motion
· Releases Endorphins
· Speeds up Recovery of Injured Muscles
· Helps Induce Sleep
· Reduces Stress Hormone Cortisol

4.5 Take a Week Off: For anyone who has made fitness part of the “core” of their life, this is a very difficult step to take. They feel guilty about taking a week off because they feel as if they’re doing something wrong by watching TV or going to the book store and having coffee rather than lifting a dumbbell or hitting a heavy bag. They feel lazy. They begin to feel fat, lethargic, weak or that their muscles are shrinking- that’s crazy! (But that’s how I, I mean they, feel!!) If anyone has earned a week off, it’s the person who is slaving away at the gym and forging their body the way a blacksmith creates a sword. So just in case you’re one of those folks, I want you to know that all studies done demonstrate how taking a week or so off from intense training actually helps people achieve their fitness goals faster and with better quality in the long run. One week every 3 months or so should be good. Here are a few more benefits to taking some time off:
· Catch up on Lost Sleep
· Heal Nagging Injuries
· Rest Sore Muscles
· Get Re-motivated
· Eliminate Burnout
· Spend more time with family