Recovery, 2

What is recovery? Recovery is the process of rest and repair that tissues need after a workout. Muscles and tendons strengthen and develop between training sessions. The stress you put on your muscles, for example, during a session prompts them to come back stronger after recovery.

The amount of time you need to recover is directly proportional to the intensity of your workout. Adequate sleep and good nutrition are also integral to tissue recovery. Gentle stretching helps increase blood flow which is necessary to carry off toxic wastes, oxygenate and nourish stressed tissues.

Some of my own injuries developed because I didn't allow adequate recovery time between exercise periods. When recovery time is too short, you go into your next session with tissues that have not had sufficient time to repair themselves.

Most recently, I have cut out (for now) the isometric exercises I added to my routine. Even at two or three times a week, my knees were constantly sore, and my old shoulder injury started to act up. I had a choice to make. I could tough it out and risk the probability of eventually being unable to continue my program at all, or I could give my joints a rest and continue at a lower level of intensity.