Rest, Recover, Repair

It’s always a different scene when we begin a new exercise program, but what we have to remember is to never go too fast out of the gates.  At many points in life we get excited for change, an event, we’re ready. The fact of the matter is that we have to continually take a step back in order to constantly care for our bodies. No one can exercise day after day without stretching, eating a balanced diet, and taking the REST when needed! Myself included.

Most recently, I have been training for my second marathon, and as a fitness specialist it was a true wake-up call. Making a long story short, I suffered an overuse injury by pushing too hard day after day and not allowing my body to rest. Luckily enough, the injury did not completely set back my training, so I will be able to run the New Hampshire Marathon (10 days in counting so excited!)

The valuable lesson here can be summed up with this quote from Hal Hidgon, one of the most infamous and knowledgeable runners out there: “The most important day in any running program is rest. Rest days give your muscles time to recover so you can run again. Your muscles build in strength as you rest.” Therefore, the ACSM recommendations of 3 to 5 days of aerobic activity for 30 minutes or more can be modified, don’t always stick to a rigid schedule, listen to your body before it’s too late!

Also, I was just checking out a cool study based off a question that a guest had asked yesterday. He said, “I feel like I have no energy, post-exercise my muscles are sore and it’s difficult to get thru the next day’s workout, should I take a supplement?” So what ways can you recover quicker after an intensive strength training session or vigorous day of exercise? One solution is actually already in your refrigerator, and it’s none other than fat-free chocolate milk. 

During a two-week study conducted by ACSM, they followed eight male runner’s, following each run the study participants drank either 16-ounces of fat-free chocolate milk or 16 ounces of a carbohydrate-only beverage, which matched the calories of the milk.  After taking muscle biopsies, the study concluded that the runners who drank fat-free chocolate milk during recovery had heightened markers of muscle repair compared to the ladder. In a second study, ACSM linked milk as a contributor to replenishing glycogen stores in our muscles, which is a source of fuel during prolonged bouts of endurance exercise. This is the fuel that marathon runners completely run out of when they hit the dreaded wall. Anyways, the point of this blog today is to take care of your body rest, recover, repair and you’ll be exercising for years to come! (www.acsm.org Chocolate Milk May Help Repair Muscles, Restore Glycogen After Exercise)