Do you prioritise rest and recovery?
Allowing your mind and body to rest is essential for releasing tension and tightness in your body, calming your nervous system and supporting hormonal balance.
When we neglect our sleep and recovery, we can overstimulate our nervous system, causing our stress hormones to spike which impacts our metabolism, digestive system, blood pressure, sleep and immunity. Recovery is a natural bodily process which repairs our muscle fibres. When we place our muscles under tension, we are creating small tears in the muscle fibres. Recovery is essential for repairing the muscles and promoting muscle growth.
Not sure where to get started? Here are 3 ways I prioritise rest and recovery.
1. Hip Release Stretches to release any muscle tension or tightness around my hips and pelvis, a common result of our fight or flight stress response.
Evening Stretch 4
Quick Stretch 10
2. Contrast Therapy to stimulate circulation and natural detoxification.
Contrast therapy is a ritual that helps your body and mind reset. It works by alternating between hot and cold temperatures – sauna to cold plunge to ice to heat. The goal is not to shock your body, but invite a natural response to the heat and cold. Each shift activates your circulatory and nervous systems in different ways, creating a deep internal workout.
Heated Benefits:
- Blood vessels open, pumping more blood to your muscles
- Floods tissues with fresh oxygen and nutrients to repair and recover
Cold Benefits:
- Blood vessels tighten, reducing swelling by redirecting blood flow
- Manages post-movement inflammatory responses
The shifting creates a pumping effect which boosts circulation, fushes out waste like lactic acid and activates your body’s natural recovery process. The benefits of contrast therapy include:
- Stress reduction
- Faster muscle recovery
- Reduced muscle soreness and pain
- Better circulation
- Injury prevention
3. A Wind Down Routine 1 hour before bed to improve my sleep quality and duration. Creating a wind down routine helps to prepare the body for rest and ensure a good night’s sleep. When we get into bed overstimulated, our mind and body is not ready for rest, which can cause a disruption to our sleep pattern and have ongoing effects on our energy levels. Here are some ways I wind down in the evenings in preparation for bed.
- No screen time 60 minutes before bed.
- Herbal tea for relaxation.
- Magnesium for muscle recovery and sleep. My favourite ritual is the WelleCo Evening Elixir, which contains magnesium, vitamin C, passionflower and chamomile.
- A gentle stretch or legs up the wall.
- A simple skincare routine, cleansing my face and rehydrating before bed.
