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From Strain to Strength:
The Underrated Importance of Recovery
Listening to the Body: The Importance of Recovery
“I have had a tendency to ignore my body’s signs of fatigue, for years I would just slug through incredible fatigue ”sticking to the plan”. Now-days I think the best way we have to think about recovery and rest is listening to my body more. If the mind says no the body is trying to tell you something. Respecting this made a huge difference in my recovery.”
Mimmi Kotka, professional ultra running athlete.
We know that training is fundamental for optimal performance and improvement, however, the importance of rest and recovery should not be overlooked. It is the time when the body repairs and strengthens itself. In the realm of sports, the toll of overuse can often lead to wear and tear on our bodies. Consider a runner, whose repeated footfalls might result in knee strain over time, or a climber, facing elbow tendonitis due to tendon inflammation.
Living in Chamonix, where sports and extreme exercise are a way of life, we see first hand how challenging it is to prevent injuries. It’s essential to recognize this and to adopt strategies to counteract and care for our bodies effectively. Rest, self-care and recovery days are an important part of any exercise routine and athlete training schedule to prevent injuries and improve performance.
The benefits of an effective recovery plan include:
Relieving muscle pain and soreness: The body has a chance to remove excess lactate from the muscles. This helps to alleviate muscle pain and soreness.
Repairing and building muscles: Exercise creates microscopic tears in muscle tissue. During recovery days, cells called fibroblasts repair and build up the muscle tissue.
Replenishing the body’s energy stores: Physical exercise depletes glycogen levels (energy stored in muscles), which leads to muscle fatigue. Rest days allow the muscles to replenish their glycogen stores, thereby reducing muscle fatigue and preparing the muscles for their next session.
When we asked Mimmi Kokta about her non-negotiable post training/ event recovery practice, her response was- food! This is the number one recovery tool, get the basics of re-fuelling with protein, carbohydrates and enough calories right (and take care of your sleep) and you are 95% there.
Mental recovery: Training will tire the mind as well as the body. Especially when trail running downhill stretches take a lot of concentration, as does climbing or other endurance sports which are long and focused.
Maximizing your recovery with massage:
A sports massage is designed to meet the needs of athletes, it combines elements from traditional Swedish massage with deep tissue work, stretching, and techniques specifically developed for athletes.
Through massage therapy, one can identify physical concerns by observing the body’s responses, pinpointing areas of tension or discomfort, and assessing variations in muscle texture or tone. When a therapist works on muscles that may be tight or knotted they will ease tightness, improve range of motion and reduce pain and the risk of injury. Massage also promotes relaxation and improves blood circulation, ensuring essential nutrients reach muscle tissues, it also helps in removing waste from the body.
By adding Recovery Balm with your massage routine, you will benefit from the natural ingredients with anti-inflammatory and pain reliving properties. When a balm is rubbed or massaged into the skin it will diffuse the active components, notably CBD.
CBD receptors are found naturally all over the body. By applying a product containing CBD, these receptors will be activated to promote the soothing and anti-inflammatory effects of CBD.
Read more about the science of CBD and massage here.
Recovery Balm has been developed and tested by athletes, who need to use it on the go, and every day.
“I do some home style body maintenance and then I’m always happy to use the CBD recovery balm, great stuff guys!” Mimmi Kokta, Pro Ultra runner
“The recovery balm always feels good on muscle pain after really long days in the mountains. I really enjoy the texture and the way it is absorbed by the skin.” – Liv Sansoz, professional climber.
We regularly receive fantastic feedback and outcomes from Recovery Balm users; clients managing the pain from chronic conditions like arthritis and it has become a trusted ally for many, easing daily discomforts, making sports and activities more approachable once again. This has been the motivation in our mission to keep the Recovery Balm momentum strong.
Introducing our new CBD Recovery Massage Oil at a friendly price
To ensure its soothing touch is within reach for many more people who need it, we have launched a brand-new CBD Recovery Massage Oil with a simplified blend of 100% natural soothing and effective anti-inflammatory ingredients that presents our CBD recovery products at a very attractive price:performance ratio.
The product has been developed with input from athletes, meeting specific needs and demands of active individuals, including efficacy in aiding muscle recovery and relief.
“I love it. The skin absorbs it very well and it’s just as effective as the balm.”
Ruud Kappert, professional ultra trail running athlete.
Whether a thoughtful gift for someone who needs it or for yourself, our massage oil is ready to buy on our website or drop by Decathlon mountain-store in Passy where we also supply our classic recovery balm.
