by Mary Edwards, Precor Master Coach and Fitness Director at the Cooper Fitness Center

JUST DO IT!... Go hard or go home!... No pain, no gain…

These are just a few of the phrases you may have heard to inspire and motivate exercisers to keep pushing physical limits for results. But, what if our hard-driving approach is in error? What if our body really needs periods of regeneration to adapt and grow? If the only workout you know is high intensity interval training or high volume, heavy strength training, you may be setting yourself up for over-training symptoms or even injury. Let’s look at what regeneration is and what it can do for your continued performance.

Regeneration is a physical and mental recovery process from vigorous exercise.

Regeneration consists of a combination of wellness and activity strategies that help enhance your adaptation to training. After a strenuous workout, the body is in a “catabolic” state. Stress hormones are elevated, muscle tissue is damaged, and your nutrition and hydration are compromised. It is imperative to eat a combination of carbohydrates and protein within 30-45 minutes after exercise completion to support your body’s recovery process. Regeneration also occurs in the form of a good night’s sleep. We all underestimate the healing that occurs when our bodies sleep. It is recommended we acquire 7-9 hours per night in order to boost immune function, repair muscle, and return our central nervous system to a parasympathetic state.

Physical activity also can assist in regeneration. You may consider undulating (alternating days or sessions of high intensity interval training with low intensity training) your cardiovascular routine in order to facilitate exercise recovery. An excellent tool for your low intensity training days is a non-weight bearing cardiovascular machine. A great choice for many different types of exercisers, this style of cardio piece will allow you to reduce gravitational force on your joints and tissues while continuing your general aerobic conditioning. You simply may use the ‘Quickstart’ button for low intensity exercise or choose a Hill or Random program at a reduced resistance to encourage movement variety in your training session. Please review the undulating workout example below. In this format, the Precor EFX® is chosen for low-moderate intensity sessions.

Another popular form of regeneration is active recovery. Active recovery may take the form of a low intensity training day between high intensity training days; this may help you feel more refreshed when beginning the next vigorous workout. Active recovery also may follow a high intensity interval or training session (as indicated below). Utilizing active recovery immediately after high intensity intervals can promote circulation, and thus, assist in removing metabolites. Review the workout example below to introduce active recovery within your workout session – a Precor EFX is chosen for the active recovery interval.

It may be tempting to keep pushing our bodies to work harder every workout. However, allowing your body to recover from strenuous exercise sessions is essential to see further physical adaptation and avoid overtraining and injury.  Apply regeneration practices in your own daily and weekly routine to make a positive impact on your nutrition, sleep, volume and intensity of your training schedule.
 

References

Hoolihan, Charlie. Recovery: The Rest of the Story. Ideafit.com. March 2014.

Rest and Recovery (Fitness Handout). Idea Fitness Journal. Volume 11, Issue 9. 2014.

Verstegen, Mark and Williams, Pete. Core Performance: The Revolutionary Workout Program to Transform Your Body and Life. Pennsylvania: Rodale Press, 2004.

Wheeler, Keith. Optimal Recovery after Exercise: Nutrient Timing. Ideafit.com. February 2013.