There are many means of enhancing recovery that do not entail extraordinary physiotherapeutic or specialised skills to apply. With the exemption of performing healthy habits such as those of bedtime habits for getting sleep and matters of hygiene such as taking a shower after each workout, all kinds of speeding up recovery are particular to an individual and can change depending on the state of the individual’s body. The properties also change with continuous use, where the individual can adapt to the means of recovery in the same way that they do with exercise. In general, the means of speeding up recovery should be applied not when the unassisted speed of recovery is highest (directly after a workout) but when it slows down. Massage or auto-massage is constructive for skin, muscles, and ligaments. The elasticity and strength of ligaments is enhanced by massage. Classical massage advances the strength of muscles more than point massage (acupressure) and point massage is superior to classic massage for boosting the functioning of the central nervous system. Both improve reaction time and recovery after a workout, and both kinds of massage can be done together. There are more than a few kinds of training massage, namely, workout massage, preparatory massage, restorative massage, and therapeutic massage. A workout massage, complete body or local, has to speed up the progression of recovery after a workout. It is done 1.5 to 2 hours after the end of the workout and lasting no more than 20 minutes. A preparatory massage is executed directly before an exercise effort. It is used to ease the body, to warm up and avert cooling down of the body, and to control the prestart emotions. A soothing preparatory massage lasts 15 to 25 minutes and ends 5 minutes before the start in a competition, for instance. A restorative massage is performed during the pauses between sessions (swimming or running), between matches or bouts (boxing, wrestling), before a change of device in gymnastics, and after workouts or competitions to expedite recovery. This kind of massage lasts 7 to 12 minutes. Lastly, therapeutic massage is arranged by a physician in the case of some ailments and a number of injuries and is therefore highly variable depending on the circumstances.
Bibliography
- Kurz, Thomas. Science of sports training: how to plan and control training for peak performance. Island Pond, VT, U.S.A.: Stadion, 1991.
- Rippetoe, Mark, and Lon Kilgore. Practical programming for strength training. 2nd ed. Wichita Falls, TX: Aasgaard Co., 2009.
