Given my line of work, I OBSESS about the long term ramifications of what I do athletically and what my clients do athletically. I've seen a large number clients come in over the last 8 years with completely worn out joints by the age of 40-50 years from high impact sports like running. I then ask myself two questions 1) is it worth it? and 2) is joint wear and tear inevitable?
So, I started prayerfully pondering these two questions while running. My spirit was calmed instantly after the word RECOVERY jumped out at me.
We have to take time to be proactive in our healing. In exercise, that means getting plenty of antioxidants (found in fruits and vegetables) to battle the free radicals that build up after strenuous exercise. That also means getting plenty of lean protein to help my muscles build back stronger after I've beaten them down. Recovery also means not beating the pavement 5-6 times per week but rather, cross-training 2-3 days per week with weights, swimming, biking, rowing, etc to insure I'm allowing my run specific muscle fibers that are most used in that movement pattern time to repair. It also means, and this is my weak spot, getting plenty of sleep each night in order to achieve proper hormonal balance to encourage healthy HGH (human growth hormone) levels.
If I can take care of myself and proactively recover after each workout, I feel my odds of being highly active in my older years are much greater.
Whether I've been physically, mentally, or spiritually stressed, I have to take time to proactively recover.
Songs of the Week
Deftones-"Risk"
B.o.B-"Magic"
Glee Cast-Jesse's Girl
Video of the Week
I may be the last person on earth to see this...but nonetheless it is really funny.
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