Why We All Need More Strength And Recovery

…especially when you're training for a big charity project and currently full of Lemsip.

If you’ve been following my training for the MOVE Against Cancer challenge, you’ll know I’ve been building up the miles — cycling and swimming while I continue to rehab an ankle injury. But this week, the training plan has had a little jig around: I’m rough…big old case of the winter nasties.

And as frustrating as it feels, this week has been the perfect reminder of something I work on with all of my clients - strength and recovery matter just as much as the big sessions. In fact, probably even more.

Strength training makes you more endurance proof and can be nice to get in when you need a slightly lower intensity session. Too many people see strength work as something “extra” or “nice to have” alongside endurance training when they have the time — but physiologically, it’s one of the most protective tools we have and something I will NEVER miss. Actually, I’m one of those endurance enigmas that actually enjoy it. If you want to improve efficiency in the pool and on the roads, prevent yourself from having to take longer out because of injuries or niggles and be able to go for longer when fatigue kicks in, DO NOT neglect your strength work.

Recovery is when adaptation and improvement happen, NOT during the training miles. Repeat after me…training stresses the body. Recovery strengthens it. Getting fitter happens BETWEEN sessions, not during them and if we aren’t giving the body what it needs during that time – rest, nutrients and all the good stuff, we cannot reach our potential. So, this week, when my body is telling me to chill, it’s likely more productive than it first seems.

Not sure if you’re recovering well enough…well, perhaps ask yourself, how hard does training feel? Disproportionately hard? What does your resting heart rate look like? Your HRV if you track it? How is your sleep? Your mood? Your appetite? Your general health? (Bit rich as I sit here wandering if there can be any snot left in my body!!) All can give us indications about your recovery and whether your body is just asking for a minute rest!

I popped something on my stories on social media this week – pushing through training isn’t ‘cool’, ‘discipline’ or ‘part of the grind’ when you’re unwell…it’s actually biologically counterproductive. Your immune system is working overtime – do you really think your body needs endurance training, or any training for that matter, on top of that? You are asking your body to choose between recovery and performance and doing that will result in neither happening well. So, if you want prolonged illness, low immunity, high stress hormones, crappy performance and higher injury risk then crack on!

This week isn’t about hitting paces or targets for me – it’s listening to what to body is asking for. Longevity in a training plan is positive decision making and consistency over TIME – I’m far more likely to start this challenge healthy if I make good decisions now, 8 months out. Keeping on top of positive recovery habits and having the discipline to rest when the body asks for it is difficult, but no-one is giving you a medal for pushing through feeling rubbish. None of us are invincible!

We don’t panic when feeling ropey forces a little pause or a jig around. A slower week isn’t a setback…it’s intelligent.

Remember, whatever your goals – strength training is fabulous if you can take it a little lower intensity when the body is saying ‘no’ to big CV workouts, ‘recovery is the foundation to adaptation’ and you definitely don’t lose fitness in a few days but you can lose it by ignoring what your body is telling you!

So, I’m not sitting back entirely this week – recovery is absolutely intentional, we are respecting the training process for a big goal and my health and training is being built on a body that is cared for, NOT one that is squeezed dry of all of its resources. We aren’t punishing the body here – we are celebrating what it can do when we treat it well!

Happy resting gang! Peace and love, A x