8 Ways to improve recovery after a hard day
1. Cold water baths. There seems to be some improvement in muscle chemistry after a 10 minute cold bath for 10 minutes. There also are effects on the central nervous system by decreasing the workload on your heart and decreasing the effects of overheating. How to make this work for you… have a hot shower first (stretch when you are in there), get clean then jump in a cold bath (10 degrees) for 10 minutes.
2. Drink enough fluid throughout the day to keep your wee pale coloured, but not clear, and weigh yourself morning and night, keep your weight the same so you replace lost water.
3. Eat good tucker – I advocate a diet filled with food that grows (in a paddock or in a garden), lots of good fats and low grains, but you have to find what works for you. I've got a couple of posts on food especially for travel, but that would work for shearing away too)
4. Stretching – for shearers I find that hip flexors, hamstrings, upper back and forearms are important, stretch each side to a feeling of tautness, not pain and hold for 30 seconds. (Do this when you are warm). (go to my website and subscribe to get a free stretch video)
5. Sleep with your feet elevated – then your blood moves more easily back to your heart, you are less likely to get swelling and I think you will find there is less achiness in the morning. (I always did, and as an aside, after surgery, this was helpful too).
6. Do gentle movement – a short walk, relaxation, something you enjoy to help flush all the by-products of exercise out of your system.
7. Sleep – make sure you are getting at least 8 hours, if not 10 – your work is your training and your workload is huge.
8. Compression gear works for some people - it's worth a try. I've written more about it here.
Look after yourself!
Let me know how you get on - what helps you the most?
