Why recovery should matter to PT’s by James Lorey, Operations Director, YOUR Personal Training
Recovery from training is increasingly becoming one of the most important components of physical activity, as well as being crucial to overall wellbeing.
PT’s need to be well versed in how to include recovery into their clients’ programmes, especially if they want their clients to keep coming back and to help them to avoid injury.
Asking people to rest their bodies can be challenging, especially if they are working towards a particular health goal, but PT’s must reassure their clients that rest has significant mental and physical benefits for the long-term.
It’s worth remembering that, in order to improve and enhance personal fitness, you must challenge your body to stress. This could include weightlifting or endurance runs, but on completion of these challenges the body needs to adapt to the impact it experienced; this is when the body recovers. Ignoring the recovery stage can lead to injuries.
How to recovery effectively
Personal trainers should actively encourage their clients to listen to their own bodies. There is no shame in being tired. There are a number of ways to help the body to recover and these include: a good night’s sleep, proper hydration, fuelling the body through diet and nutrition, as well as massage.
Massage does not need to be hands on bodies. Increasingly there are products that offer deep massages electronically. Recently, at the Waterside Hotel and Leisure Club in Greater Manchester, YPT has created a recovery zone, which has been fitted out with Hyperice’s specialist recovery products, including two slimline Hyperice charging stations with Hypervolt 2 cordless percussion handheld massage guns, two Vyper 2.0 vibrating rollers, two Hypersphere deep massage ballglobes and a separate Zero Gravity Hyperice Chair.
These products help to loosen up muscles, increasing oxygen and blood flow into muscles, and remove lactic acid build up using percussion, air compression and vibration.
Our PTs tell us that incorporating a recovery session in their offer differentiates their services from other fitness providers, as members are intrigued and excited by the recovery zone.
No matter where your clients are with their fitness journey, rest and recovery is an essential part of their wellbeing. The quality and quantity of the rest they are getting will actually improve their performance, keeping them happier, motivated and returning for more PT sessions.