In the world of strength and conditioning, muscle soreness is just a part of the game. As the CrossFit Open approaches this week, it made me think about how destroyed I have felt in past years due to these workouts. Here are a few tips on how to reduce soreness (if you’re not sore you probably didn’t go hard enough!).
Active Recovery
The worst thing you can do is not move around after a tough workout. Just making yourself go for a long walk is plenty to get the circulatory and lymphatic systems working to flush out the toxins created from strenuous work. Keep in mind the next two days after a tough workout are the hardest to move around, so make sure you do it!
Sleep
I’ve already said this in the past. Just get 8 hours or more a night. Easier said than done, but consistently getting 8 hours or more helps more than just muscle recovery. Your energy, mind, and body feel better when you get enough sleep. Duh.
Hydration
Getting enough water will help your body flush out the waste products due to going hard on a workout. A good rule of thumb is to drink half of your bodyweight in ounces a day. If you sweat, then add 16 more ounces. A lot of people fail at this one so just keep track of it for a week or so and see how you did. According to CrossFit Endurance, performance drops at least 10% due to being dehydrated by just 1%. To ensure absorption of water, use a pinch of sea salt or Nuun tablets.
Mobilize/ART/Massage
Everything will tighten up after a hard workout, so make sure to stay loose. Do the stretches we give you in our warm ups, and/or look some up on mobilitywod. If you feel like you need more tissue work, then go see Judy at Flexibly Fit or Sandy over at East Sac Chiropractic.
Hopefully these tips help you out not only during the open, but for the long haul. If you have any recovery techniques to contribute, then post it to comments. Good luck to everyone in the Open!
