Just as important as the workout itself.
There was a time when recovery after a training session, match or workout meant retiring to the nearest bar and numbing the pain with pints.
Thankfully, the awareness of the importance of recovery to an athlete has increased a huge amount in recent years and it is now an essential part of the routine of any professional or even amateur athlete worth his or her salt.
Stretching, eating the right foods and sleep are all factors of the recovery process, but here are some equipment aids that will help speed up the process and ensure that you’re back in prime condition in no time.
Foam roller – €29.99
Not many people had a clue what these things were when they started to get popular a few years ago, but now they’re a common sight in gyms and dressing rooms everywhere.
Foam rolling is a simple way of describing what the experts know as a self-myofascial release (SMR) technique, but it basically involves applying pressure to the various muscle groups with particular focus on the tender areas to ease tightness and increase flexibility.
It’s not necessarily a pleasant experience, but it’s bloody well effective.
O’Neills Sliotar – €7
If you thought the foam roller was bad, then try applying a sliotar to your most delicate muscle groups (lying on a sliotar that is) to increase the effectiveness of the self-myofascial release referenced above.
Again, this is in no way pleasant but it’s incredibly effective and it doesn’t have to be sliotar; a hockey ball or any ball that’s similar in size and equally as firm will do the job.
If you’re particularly masochistic, try a golf ball (AAAAGGGGGHHHHH!).
Ice/Heat pack – €8.99
The benefits of applying ice to an affected area to quicken up the healing process have been known for generations and still apply today.
Unless you’re still happy to use a bag of frozen peas from the freezer, an ice pack made up of gels that can be moulded to suit the shape of your body is what you should be looking for.
You can put it in the freezer if you want it cold and you can also throw it in the microwave if you’re looking, for example, to warm up a tight hamstring before training.
Recovery Protein – €42.99
Chances are you already consume some form of protein before and/or after workouts if you’re a regular gym-goer and the effects it can have on your recovery are well-documented.
The type of protein you consume depends entirely on what your goals are, but in terms of recovery, it’s hard to go wrong with any of the flavours from Kinetica’s 100% Recovery range.
Compression pants – €99.99
If you’re competing at a fairly serious level and are looking for a little bit of an edge on the competition, then you might want to think about investing in a pair of compression pants.
Be warned, these don’t come cheap, but they are proven to deliver more blood rich in oxygen to your recovering muscles and help lessen the onset of tiredness and pain in the muscles after a heavy workout.
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