How to RECOVER from training as we age!

Welcome to this week’s newsletter!

Today we are diving into the recovery aspect of resistance training as this is probably as important as the training itself.

As we get older the “Law of Senescence” unfortunately means that we do not repair or regenerate as well as we did in our youth.

While resistance training and exercise certainly slows down the ageing process and keeps us youthful.

We must let the body recover properly, and ensure that we take the necessary steps to ENSURE we recover properly….

These steps are:

• Sleep

• Nutrition

• Mobility

• Stress management

• Smart training

Lets break each of these down a bit more…

Proper sleep:

You have heard it many times before, the body repairs, detoxifies and regenerates when we sleep properly.

And we know we need a solid 7-9 hours per night of QUALITY sleep.

Yet still, all too many people don’t get enough sleep or prioritise it enough?

Poor sleep is also related to higher cortisol levels (stress), inflammation, injury risk and reduced immune function.

Below are some key steps to help fix or improve your sleep patterns:

• Stick to a regular sleep and wake cycle.

• Use blue light blocking glasses 2-3 hours before bed.

• Avoid caffeine after midday (especially if sensitive to caffeine).

• Avoid eating dinner too late (allow 3 hours before your regular bedtime).

• Keep your room as dark as possible when sleeping.

• Shut down laptops and minimise TV an hour before sleep.

• Remember alcohol also disrupts quality sleep (sorry to say!).

On a final note “Why we sleep “ by Matthew Walker is an excellent book and worth reading.

Good nutrition:

Good wholesome and quality food is vital not just for overall health but for recovery and regeneration too.

As we get older sarcopenia can accelerate muscle loss (made worse with inactivity) so PROTEIN is essential to helping us maintain muscle mass and recover from training.

Here’s some key tips for a good all round diet:

• Protein is key – Aim for 1.2-2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight to support muscle repair.

• Carbohydrates replenish energy – Don’t fear carbs, they’re protein sparing and help restore glycogen ready for your next session.

• Healthy fats support hormones – Omega-3s, found in high quality fish, olive oils etc can reduce inflammation and aid recovery.

• Don’t forget your “micronutrients” - Lot’s of colourful vegetables, berries and high quality fruits round out your diet with vitamins and minerals.

• Adopt the 80/20 rule - This means that 80% of your diet should be good clean food choices with 20% leeway to have treats that you enjoy.

Make sure you get a high quality meal with a good protein and carbohydrate source within 60 mins of your training sessions ideally…

Mobility and active recovery:

I am a huge fan of active recovery as movement is so good for the body in general.

It is also a way to promote better recovery whilst getting in more total activity.

Below are some simple approaches to maintaining mobility and getting active recovery in:

• Walking daily – Walking improves blood flow, aids muscle recovery, reduces stress and is good for the brain!

• Incorporate mobility exercises – Moving your joints regularly helps maintain the range of motion you have which reduces injury risk longterm.

• Don’t skip a proper warm-up in the gym – Preparing your body before training and cooling down afterward helps prevent stiffness and soreness.

For the record I am not a huge fan of static stretching to improve range of movement and “flexibility”.

I prefer to use isometric exercises and joint rotations for the purposes of mobility and warming up.

Below have left a couple of shoulder videos to help illustrate what I mean, and give you some ideas!

Stress management:

Higher stress can increase cortisol levels, which impacts recovery, sleep, energy as well as injury rates.

Stress can accelerate the ageing process too…

Here’s how to manage stress better:

• Incorporate daily relaxation techniques – Breath-work, meditation, or even simple downtime in nature can help.

• Balance training and life demands – If you’re overly stressed, adjusting training intensity can help prevent burnout, illness and injury.

• Staying hydrated – Dehydration can increase stress on the body and slow down recovery. Aim for at least 2 litres of water per day.

• Proper sleep - Yes it’s worth mentioning again!

• Get rid of toxic people and/or toxic situations - Easier said than done sometimes but at least minimise exposure to these people and situations.

Smart training:

I still see many people in their 40s and 50s still training like they were in their 20s.

And have the “wear and tear” to show for it…

I absolutely and wholeheartedly believe we can make great progress with exercise at any age.

We just have to respect where we are at in life and train accordingly…

Which often requires a smarter not harder approach.

Here’s a few key tips to help you:

• Prioritise quality over quantity – More isn’t always better. 2-3 high quality sessions per week might be preferable to 3-4 now.

• Schedule rest days strategically – At least 3 FULL recovery days per week helps your muscles repair properly (outside light active recovery).

• Listen to your body – If you’re feeling run down or in pain then modify your session OR take the extra rest day.

• Use exercises that work best for you - I say this all the time, STOP pushing your body to perform exercises that repeatedly cause pain or injury to you.

There’s literally 1000s of exercise choices and variations to get the job done!

At the end of the day injuries will only stop you training properly and derail your efforts…

Wrapping up…

Part of the process I use when I start working with clients is assessing their “allostatic load”.

This is an assessment of their overall stress levels, allowing me to meet them where they’re at and plan their training safely and appropriately.

If you want to know more about how I can help you set up an exercise program that is suitable for you, or if you are potentially interested in coaching.

Please feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn, or email me on [email protected].

For now thanks for reading today, and stay tuned for the next edition of Train For Life next Saturday!

Daryl