Happy New Year, Happy New Body
Happy new year everybody. I hope you are all relaxed, re-charged and ready for the year ahead. No doubt a vast majority of people have decided that they are going to get fitter, stronger and faster in 2016, but with this in mind it isĀ vital to take care of your body in the process.
It is important to push your body to it’s limits in order to achieve fitness targets but it is equally if not more important to develop a focused recovery plan in order to ensure that your 2016 fitness regime develops and thrives beyond the end of January.
I have spent the last few years battling through chronic muscle pain which developed as a result of a severe whiplash injury. For me, exercise on a daily basis has become vital in order to keep my body happy and healthy. With this in mind I have had to learn to design my own daily workout recovery system to ensure my muscles get the care they need in order to relax and rejuvenate. Now, I am no physical therapist or doctor but I have spent countless hours researching and testing workout and recovery systems in order to assist and accelerate my own body’s healing process. These systems have been guided by physical therapy sessions as well through researching different books and online articles.
The 100 Point Workout Recovery System
The following workout recovery system helps me to attend at least three 7am yoga classes per week, go to the gym at least five times a week and cycle to and from work each day. As I am an accountant by day it is of no surprise that this is a number based system :).
The idea is that if you workout on any given day you must reach your 100 points of recovery within 24 hours. A workout is defined as any exercise session which challenges you physically. This can be running, yoga, boxing, gym classes or any activity that puts physical strain on your body. Instead of just accepting the post workout muscle pain and stiffness, this 100 point system assists in speeding up your recovery so you can get back to your physical activity of choiceĀ as quickly as possible.
These 100 points can be gained by performing various post workout activities which I will list below. These activities must be carried out within 24 hours of completing your workout session. Each activity is equal to a certain amount of points and once you reach 100 points you are ready for your next training session.
| Points | Activity |
| 30 | 1 Hour Restorative Yoga Class |
| 30 | 30 Minute Massage |
| 20 | 8 + Hours Sleep |
| 20 | 15 Minute Stretching Session ā Home Practice |
| 20 | Carbohydrate + Protein Rich Meal within 60 minutes of workout |
| 20 | 15 Minute Foam Rolling Session ā Home Practice |
| 20 | Contrast Showers ā 2 minutes cold, 2 minutes hot alternated three times = 12 mins |
| 20 | 20 Minute Swim |
| 20 | 15 Minutes Spin Bike |
| 20 | 10 Minutes Meditation |
| 10 | 2 Hours wearing compression garment ā e.g. Skins |
| 10 | Consumption of at Least 3 Litres of Water |
| 10 | 30 Minute Nap |
| 10 | 20 Minute Gentle Walk |
| Minus 20 | Consumption of Alcohol |
| 100 | Target |
Please note that the above activities should be coupled with a nutrient rich diet filled with fruit and vegetables. Also note that the only negative activity in the above recovery system is the consumption of alcohol and this decreases your score by 20 points as it dehydrates the body and makes itĀ much more difficult for you to recover quickly.
I wish you all the best of luck with your health and fitness in 2016. I hope you find this 100 point recovery system useful. We all want that dream body which is well defined and sculpted but in order for us to get results this year we all need to adopt a life consisting of balance.Ā If you intend toĀ push your body to it’s limits this year thenĀ make sure to adopt an appropriate recovery system such as the above.
As Justin Bieber says, “you should go and love yourself”. I listened to that song way too much over the last few weeks and still can’t stop replaying it.Ā I am ashamed to say I’m a Belieber but I have to agree that you have got to “love yourself.” Listen to your body and show it the love and care it deserves in 2016.
Thank you so much for reading.
Happy, determined, positive and focused healing to you all.
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