Whether your goal is to lose weight, increase athletic performance, or just exercise, recovery is key. I cannot stress this enough. The more active you are, the more you need when it comes to recovery. The world’s top athletes spend more time recovering their bodies to not only perform at the highest level but prolong their career. Most of us spend the majority of our days sitting. Eating, driving, working, socializing, watching television, video games, etc. All sitting.
So when we decide to exercise those unused muscles, they get quite a bit of shock. Depending on the load, the muscles will get pretty sore. So rather than walking like a zombie (for those that did leg day, you know) is there a way to expedite this process so you can actually walk up stairs? Part of it is to exercise more frequently and consistently, but the following tools will help speed up the recovery process. Here are the top 5 recovery tools we recommend at DGF:
1. Foam roller
The foam roller is a great tool to use for prepping and post-exercise purposes. We recommend the 6 x 36″ roller so you can lie on it completely. When you apply pressure to those tight muscles, it will help it loosen them up and prepare the body for the sport or activity you are doing. A lot of people go over the muscle TOO FAST, so spend quality time on those areas that are tight. Remember, quality over quantity. You will be amazed to see how slow one minute is on the foam roller.
Don’t know how to target a specific body part? Give these videos a try!
2. Golf ball
No, we are not playing golf. The golf ball is great to stretch the bottom of your foot. It’s the right size to get into those smaller areas of the foot. You don’t realize how much tension you have until you massage it. Remember to go slowly over the arch of the foot. Explore and see where you feel most the tension.
3. Lacrosse ball
The lacrosse ball is great to get in those knots in the upper back. It has the right amount of stiffness and stickiness so it doesn’t slip on the wall. It’s not a long-term solution, but it’s nice to use when you slept wrong or after sitting for a long time. Here is a video to target the upper back area.
4. Theracane
This one is great for those areas that are hard to reach (upper back, back of shoulders, mid-back, etc). I use this religiously on my shoulder. Here is how to use it:
5. Massage gun (Hypervolt/Theragun)
Sore quads after running? Too much leg day? Don’t want to walk around the house like Frankenstein? Then, this one is for you.