Pirates Of Fitness: The 3 R's - Rest, Roll, and Recover

As a massage therapist and Recovery Specialist I spend much of my time fielding questions to help athletes manage, treat, prevent, and recover from "soft tissue issues". This is my recipe for best practice and daily maintenance. Enter the 3 R's - Rest, Roll, and Recover.

Rest - Think like a Major League Pitcher and put yourself on a rotation. Many overuse injuries can be managed if you simply STOP overusing you body. I can't help but to get a bit snarky to a client that shares their chronic injury with this statement "it only hurts when I run". Sorry folks but sometimes you need to get out of your own way. Quit activities that make you hurt and see a specialist so it doesn't get worse. Sleep may be the most underrated part of improved performance, and having a balanced and healthy life. For a in depth look at this topic pick up a copy of Take a Nap by Dr. Sara Mednick.
Roll - Using a foam roller or massage stick is not the solution to all your soft tissue needs but it is effective, easy to use, and low cost. With a daily investment of 10 minutes you can certainly expect to gain tissue length, desensitize hypertonic muscles, increase blood flow bringing in fresh oxygenated blood and help to flush out metabolic waste via the lymphatic drainage system.
Recover - We like to think of recovery as active or intentional activities to enhance your bodies rebuilding process. Using post workout recovery drinks and staying hydrated are two of the most relied upon and common methods. But don't overlook other methods for blood flow like the hot tub or sauna. In the days after a hard workout I defer to my friend Darcy Norman's advice to recommend a little "hair of the dog that bit you". Go for a light jog if you did a race, do some push ups, rows and pull ups if your upper body is sore, or dare to do some thrusters (Squat to Press) the following day after "Fran". The key is to keep it very light and the set volume high. Two sets of 20 - 50 reps is best to increase blood flow and keep from further impacting damaged and sore tissue. My personal favorites are Pirate yoga, ultimate ball, frisbee, dynamic warm ups, pool workouts, surfing and beach volleyball ( I love living in SoCal). Laying on the sofa is great passive rest but doesn't help your sore legs for the next days workout or practice.

Follow these tips and help to remain healthy, get more from your performance and recover more quickly between workouts.