What Is Athletic Recovery – And How It Can Help You Achieve Your Fitness Goals
At Warner Orthopedics & Wellness, our goal is to help you both maintain your overall wellness and achieve your fitness goals.
Many people only think of seeing their doctors when they are in pain from an injury or illness and need treatment. In our clinic, we strive to make ourselves available to all of our patients at every point in their wellness journey – yes, even before injury or illness strikes.
Here’s why you should consider building a relationship with your physician even if you don’t need medical treatment:
What Is Athletic Recovery?
Athletic recovery has become increasingly popular for high-performing or professional athletes – but you can experience the benefits as well. Athletic recovery refers to any therapeutic treatment applied before, during, or after exercise to boost performance, reduce fatigue, and shorten recovery.
Some practices included in this methodology include hydrotherapy, active recovery (exercising in short, manageable portions instead of resting fully,) stretching, compression therapy, and therapeutic massage. Generally, these treatments happen in a physical therapists’ office.
How You Can Use Athletic Recovery To Optimize Your Well-Being
Early detection of underlying illnesses or musculoskeletal dysfunction can help you maintain and improve your mobility in the long term. If, for example, you overpronate, have issues with your walking gait that puts strain on your knees or hips, you may not notice pain right away – it will likely take some time for you to injure yourself.
Consulting with your physical therapist regularly for a routine physical exam can help them identify small issues that could have long-term consequences.
You can also utilize athletic recovery at home – you may prefer to stretch before exercising or after. Everyone is different; pay attention to your body’s needs during and after exercise. Rest when you feel you need to. If you feel tightness or soreness, adapt your routines to accommodate. Too many of us become internally competitive and do not allow for enough recovery; this is especially true for the ‘weekend warriors’ among us.
Be Ready For Future Injuries – And Recover Faster
If you visit your doctor regularly, they are already familiar with you and your patient history – so they will be able to more easily diagnose you if you fall ill, or know what recovery plan to prescribe if you get injured.
Furthermore, if you engage in a mindful athletic recovery practice, you’ll be aware of growing concerns the moment they make themselves known. Because of this, you’ll be able to visit your physical therapist for guidance before your condition worsens.
If your physician is proactive, metabolic and hormonal analyses can be completed along with other laboratory studies. We incorporate this into our practice as these systems dramatically affect performance in life and on the field.
Having trouble reaching and maintaining your fitness goals? Click below to make your consultation appointment, and start your journey towards better athletic recovery today:
