It is the day after Murph 2022. I am writing this to you from my very comfortable couch. I have a tall glass of water to my left, and a dog occupying an unused yoga mat in front of me. I am lacking the motivation to move, so now seems like a good time to talk about post-Murph recovery.
Take a rest day. Taking a rest day after an intense workout like Murph makes sense, but “resting” doesn’t mean “not moving.” Active recovery is doing anything that is less intense than your normal workouts. This low effort type of activity increases the blood flow to your muscles and tissues. Increased blood flow helps repair muscles and flush out waste products that build up during exercise. Activities like yoga, walking, or light resistance training can help you recover faster.
Hydrate yourself. Water will help flush out the waste by-products that build up during an intense workout. If you’re bored with plain water, squeeze in a lemon or throw in some frozen fruit.
Go to sleep. Don’t begrudge yourself a nap or going to bed early. You just did a heavy lift and you might need more sleep in the days after Murph. Pay attention to your sleep hygiene: wind down at the end of the day, dim the lights, skip the electronics before bed, and make your bedroom cold and dark.
Don’t want to move? Hey, I hear you. I’m tired. My everything hurts. I’m hungry for the twelfth time today, but I don’t want to get up. I’m procrastinating kicking the dog off the yoga mat and writing this blog post instead.
I’ll follow my own advice.
In a minute.
Rest well, FitFam!
Meghan
Ps. Please send snacks.
