Understand the Importance & Benefits of Recovery In Your Fitness Journey
Taking time to show your muscles some TLC after all that hard work could provide the push you need to not only feel better but perform better, too. Burnout is real. Just ask anyone who trains regularly or anyone who hasn’t taken a recovery class or rested for a week in years. Heck, ask someone who just joined a gym and has been giving 100% of their effort and seeking results! It’s easy to become fatigued and lose passion for the gym.
Don’t wait until you’re sore or injured to give your body extra attention. Many gyms and clubs, like FITNESS PROJECT, now make post-workout recovery even easier — and more enjoyable, with RECOVERY-themed classes.
It’s important to remember, if you’re not stopping to rest and recover–your future can become one of burnout, injury, or both.
Just think about it, our bodies can take a beating during our workouts. Muscles fatigue and they can break down if you go from one to another without adequate recovery efforts. While stretching before or after exercising is better than nothing, the newest trend we’re seeing in the fitness world is Recovery-focused classes — and for good reason. These types of classes allow individuals to work on restoring and repairing muscle to avoid injury or overuse. It also allows the body and mind to slow down, which is a nice way to balance out high-intensity workouts.
RECOVERY classes, like the ones at FITNESS PROJECT clubs, can actually produce a variety of benefits that include increased mobility, increased range of motion, better posture, better quality of movement, reduced soreness, reduced chronic pain or stiffness, and improved quality of life.
RECOVERY classes can vary based on your instructor, some focus more on myofascial release and targeted stretching in historically tight body areas, while others focus on dynamic stretching and body awareness. However, each class will focus on a specific stretching focus or goal using equipment designed to help facilitate muscle relaxation. Exercises may include: beginner yoga poses, band-assisted stretching, foam rolling, and targeted release using an exercise ball.
If you haven’t experienced a RECOVERY class, here are 7 amazing benefits to encourage you to try one and then consistently incorporate what you learn into your regular workout routine.
1. It Educates You
When you’re squeezing in some stretching after getting out of a CYCLE class or an intense KettleRow class, or even if you’re foam rolling at home, you’re probably not totally sure as to which muscles you should be targeting. By taking a RECOVERY class, the instructor guides you, so you know just which areas to target and how to make the most of your recovery time. At FITNESS PROJECT, instructors follow a simple yet effective way for members to practice these methods in the gym or at home.
2. It Hits All The Right Muscles
A BIG benefit of taking a RECOVERY class is that it often focuses on your entire body (all muscle groups) to get rid of knots and fight chronic soreness. Paying attention to all areas that receive stress during our day-to-day lives or during working out is an effective way of helping your body feel its best.
3. It Improves Your Overall Performance When Working Out
Think about how much time and effort you dedicate to your performance in a Studio Fitness, Team Training class, weightlifting, or general workouts. In order to boost your performance, you also need to train yourself to get into the habit of spending adequate time on recovery. This helps to ease muscles, prevent injury, and fight inflammation. This, in turn, will help you perform better during your workouts since your body is operating at its prime.
4. It Boosts Your Body’s Circulation
The benefit of a RECOVERY class with a skilled instructor is that you are learning multiple ways to help in your recovery. Foam rolling is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to recovery tools. In classes, you’re likely to encounter equipment and tools that you typically wouldn’t have access to otherwise that work more effectively on the body. Everyone benefits from increased circulation in their body.
5. It Improves Mobility And Flexibility
Instructors in RECOVERY classes use a variety of techniques that can help increase flexibility and your range of motion, making it easier to not only exercise, but go about your daily life. You’ll begin to understand how your muscles work together. Classes aim to help you enhance your range of motion, improve muscle imbalances, boost blood circulation, and reduce the risk of injury. This is not only for the hardcore fitness enthusiast but can benefit “desk warriors,” too.
6. It Forces You to Recover Post-Workout
Despite our best intentions, most of us are pretty bad at fitting in stretching, foam-rolling, or a nice sauna session. Instead of thinking of recovery as something you cram into the last few minutes of a workout, these classes become the workout itself. Trust me, you’ll see! RECOVERY classes force YOU to take the necessary time to heal.
7. It Can Help YOU & YOUR Body Heal
As this trend continues to grow, you may notice studios offering holistic, alternative forms of recovery. Treatments like acupuncture, Reiki, and cupping are on the rise as treatments to help repair damaged muscle and prevent injury. You may want to try one of these out but by taking RECOVERY classes regularly, your need for these other forms of recovery becomes less needed.
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