Living Magazine Summer 2016 | Page 10

EXERCISE RECOVERY TO REST OR NOT TO REST Summer is near, time to kick up the exercise routine a notch and get in shape for swimsuit season. You have the greatest workout of your life, only to wake up the next day feeling like your training session took place in a UFC octagon rather than the local gym. “No pain, no gain” right? Delayed onset of muscle soreness from exercise, better known as DOMS, is a real thing, and a real important concept to understand if you have any intentions of reaching those physical goals. While many people wear DOMS as a badge of honor or view its absence as evidence that they do not push hard enough, the reality is that soreness is a very poor indicator of muscular adaptation and can result in a condition simply referred to as overtraining. Exercise breaks down muscle tissue; contrary to popular belief, that pain you feel isn’t actually weakness leaving your body, but microtears in the affected tissue. Through rest and proper nutrition those torn muscle fibers and the accompanying connective tissue repair, growing bigger, stronger, and more resilient through a process known as hypertrophy. Muscular adaptation does not occur while you are lifting weights or logging those miles on the treadmill; it transpires when you are resting. Knowing your body, understanding when enough is enough, and taking steps to properly recover is one of the keys of continual progression. Exercising too much, too hard, or when you have not fully recovered can push your body’s stress responses too far, with possibly disastrous results. Not only can overtraining hinder performance and result in a catabolic state, (where your body is actually breaking down muscle tissue in attempt to repair itself), but there are immediate negative hormonal, immune system, and musculoskeletal responses. Overtraining results in increased secretion of cortisol, the “stress hormone” that is greatly correlated with weight gain among many other negative health consequences. Overtraining can suppress your immune system as the energy needed for proper function is redirected to helping muscular recovery; not only are you physically sore, but you’ve increased your risk for becoming ill. Furthermore, overtraining can result in a chronically weakened muscular state, resulting in sprains and tears. 10 / SUMMER 2016 LIVING MAGAZINE PRE AND POST WORKOUT ESSENTIALS • Deep Blue Polyphenol Complex™ • Deep Blue® Rub • Lemongrass • Cypress • Cinnamon Bark • Marjoram • Wintergreen • AromaTouch® • dōTERRA Balance®