Are you frustrating by continued injuries, aches, and pains? Here, we discuss 4 things that could be holding you back from healing and feeling your best.
SLEEP The majority of our recovery happens while we sleep. During workouts and stressful days, we breakdown. During sleep, we gain the benefits of the workout and recover from the day. It's more than that, though. Sleep is good for the immune system, muscle recovery, and bone health (among many other things) because of the processes that happen specifically while we sleep. It is recommended that high schoolers sleep between 8-10 hours a night. For adults, 7-9 hours of sleep is recommended.
NUTRITION The best thing you can do regarding nutrition is simply just eat enough, especially if you're very active! If you burn more calories than you take in it can severely affect your performance and health. It's important to get a balance of protein, complex Carbs, and healthy fats. Some important nutrients that are often low are Vitamin D (for bone, immune, and mental health) and Magnesium (for nerve and muscle health). If you're consistently injured, fatigued, or sick, getting proper blood work should definitely be one of the first steps to make sure your body has what it needs to heal.
STRESS Our body's response to stress is to produce cortisol. This happens whether it's good stress (exercise) or typical stress (work, finances, etc.). If you have stress coming from too many places at once, the constant flow or cortisol can cause a cascade of issues in the body. Eventually, your body will force you to take a break (sickness and injury or decreased performance). Gentle yoga, taking walks, and taking a break are just a few examples of ways to manage stress. To read more about stress and running, click here: www.OmegaProjectPT.com.
STRENGTH Our brain plays an important role in the presence of tight muscles and nagging joint pain and stiffness. If the brain does not feel safe in a certain position, it will not let you go into that position. In other words, if you are not strong enough, your muscles will tighten to protect the joint or muscle. This is why things like stretching and massage might feel good, but don't seem to last. It's always important to follow up with exercises that strengthen the area in its full range of motion. Strength also plays a valuable role in bone health. It's perhaps the number one thing you can do to prevent bone density loss. Preventing loss of mobility and bone health sounds like an anti-aging superpower to us!
