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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 is 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 choice 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 – Home Practice
20 Carbohydrate + Protein Rich Meal within 60 minutes of workout
20 15 Minute Foam Rolling Session – Home Practice
20 Contrast Showers – 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 – 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 it 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. If you intend to push your body to it’s limits this year then 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. 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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Matt

Author Matt

I started YogaHub out of a room at the back of someone else's house back in 2012 with nothing more than an idea. I'd been teaching Yoga since 2008 and had no intention of opening a Yoga Studio. I think, like everything I've done, I just decided one day I was going to give it a try. And try I did and if you're reading this I guess I'm still trying.

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