The Day After You Went Hard

You emptied it yesterday. Today the temptation is to do nothing at all, and that is isn’t your ideal move to recover.

Complete rest after a maximal effort leaves people stiffer, not fresher. Blood flow is what shifts the by-products of a hard day and lying on the sofa does not help. A twenty-minute walk, an easy bike, some gentle movement through the ranges you loaded yesterday. That is a better plan.

It is definitely not a session. Today is not the day to test whether you have recovered.(You haven't!)

Three things to prioritise:

Sleep. A hard competitive effort raises your heart rate overnight and often costs you sleep quality on exactly the night you need it. Keep your sleep and wake times close to normal. Too long a lie-in can wreck tonight's sleep and that second night post competition is probably an even more valuable sleep.

Food. Appetite after a big day is unpredictable — some people are ravenous, some cannot face anything. If you are in the second group, eat anyway, and get protein and carbohydrate in ahead of worrying about the size of the meal. Eat a proper evening meal even if you do not want it.

Fluid. You lost more than you think, and it turns up as fatigue and a headache today. Take on some electrolytes and plenty of fluids.

`For me, I always take the kids out for a long walk/bike ride. Have a good breakfast and dinner and just make sure I set my bedtime alarm to ensure I don’t lose that second night’s sleep.`

Expect the soreness tomorrow rather than today. Peak stiffness after unfamiliar work usually lands 24 to 48 hours later, so Monday is likely to be the worse day.

What to watch for is different. Pain that is sharp, in one specific spot, or that changes how you move goes to a physio. Do that early to prevent any long term damage. .

Back to normal on Tuesday for most. Still flat by Wednesday? Take the class and take an intensity you can finish. Everyone in a class is working at the intensity that is right for them anyway, and yours being lower this week does not make it a lesser session, it makes it appropriate for where you’re at.

New here and wondering how to get started? A free, no-obligation fifteen-minute chat with Jeremy or Beth is the place to start. crossfitchiltern.com.