Recovery Sessions

Post-exericse tips to help recover fatigue and reduce chances of injury.


Many athletes and exercise enthusiasts tend to over-train and do not allow their body to properly recover and heal. This leads to compensations in which your body uses secondary muscle groups to perform the work of the primary group. A good example would be weakness in the gluteus complex (buttocks) and pelvis floor muscles causes secondary muscle groups, such as hamstrings and lower back, to substitute the job of the buttocks during running, hiking, and squats. Overuse of these secondary muscles can lead to stiffness, micro-trauma, and injury. Therefore, active recovery is a necessity component in your exercise program.

First, active recovery does not mean lying on a couch and doing bicep curls with beer cans, metaphorically speaking. The idea of active recovery is to increase circulation within the body to remove waste generated by high-intensity activity. It does not speed up the healing process, however, not doing so would slow down your healing process.

Treading Water

If you have access to a swimming pool, this is a good method for most beginners who are not hydrophobic. You may choose to walk back and forth in waist or stomach level water or swim to the deep end and keep afloat using your arms and legs or any floatation device. Deep breathing and slower, relaxed control of your arms and legs movement will help conserve energy and exercise continuously at a low intensity. Do this for about 15-30 minutes, depending on your endurance and preference. Keep in mind that you are not swimming.


Dry Sauna

The use of a sauna can elevate your metabolism to almost the same degree as low-level aerobic exercise. A hot tub or steam room will also elevate your body temperature, but it will not induce the intense perspiration that dry heat does.

Dry heat causes all blood vessels close to the surface of your skin dilate, moving heat away from the center of your body to the surface. The heat then leaves your body through evaporation into the sauna’s dry atmosphere. This process causes your heart to work harder to pump blood to a similar level to low-level aerobic exercise. This method can also be used to relax stiff joints and muscles, especially after high-intensity activities or exercise. If there is enough room, you may do a few simple stretches once your muscles are very warm and lax.

The benefits of sauna has been used for centuries in many different cultures as a form of recovery, manage stress, and detoxification. Please follow the sanitary guidelines of using the dry sauna so that the risk of infection is nil. Always shower and lather thoroughly before using any dry sauna. If you are in doubt, please consult with your physician or healthcare professional before using the sauna. Otherwise, educate yourself prior to usage.