Hard workouts are not what get your body in shape. It's the recovery from these workouts that brings improvement.
I know I've pointed this out in the past, and the idea is simple enough. But I competed in sports like running and canoe and kayak racing for quite a few years before I really had a good understanding of it. So I bring it up again--to remind myself, if nothing else.
Several factors contribute to a good recovery. Good nutrition is one; a regular good night's sleep is another. And, of course, resting your muscles is another, but this means more than just lying around. Easy movement of the muscles gets blood flowing and facilitates recovery. For a canoe/kayak racer, easy paddling will accomplish this, but there are also things you can do out of the boat, such as stretching and simple movement exercises. One of the positive results of the shoulder ailment I had for a couple of months is that it renewed my commitment to thorough stretching and warmup exercises, even on days when I don't paddle.
Ron Lugbill, in this post on his blog, discusses the use of "active" rest to help the muscles recover and come back stronger.
Yesterday I paddled with Joe for 80 minutes in the harbor. Some hot weather is beginning to move back in here, but we had a delightful breeze yesterday that made our session not just bearable, but delightful.
I'll be paddling with Joe again tomorrow morning. Monday and today I did two sets of the June-July strength routine.
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