When individuals discuss freestyle swimming, they focus exclusively on stroke rate, stroke efficiency, power, and kick. The word “freestyle recovery” is only used infrequently. However, the recovery period, the fourth and final phase of the freestyle stroke, maybe just as critical as phases 1 – catch, phase 2 – pull, and phase 3 – departure. As the name implies, the recovery phase is intended to assist you in recovering from your freestyle stroke and preparing your body for the subsequent stroke. In this post, we’ll discuss how to recover flawlessly from freestyle swimming and set yourself up for success in the pool.
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- Avoid skipping the warm-up.
Active recovery is critical for the body’s recovery following a workout or race. If you do not commit to some easy swimming after an arduous exertion, your body will gather all of the poisons and waste products. Maintain a slightly higher heart rate and engaged muscles to ensure that your blood continues to flow. This cleanses the system and expedites the healing process.
Take your coach’s advice when they instruct you to cool down! By skipping this critical step, you will sabotage your recovery.
- Within 30 minutes, eat.
Within 30 minutes of doing a workout, it is critical to ingest both carbohydrates and protein. This brief window is possibly the most crucial moment to eat, as the body desperately needs muscle repair and glycogen replenishment. Additionally, the body is most efficient at rebuilding energy reserves inside this time.
Immediate refueling of the body will expedite the recovery process. Even if you cannot consume a complete meal within the first 30 minutes, ensure that you consume a snack containing carbs and protein. Then, as quickly as possible, finish something solid and nutritious.
- Extend your stretches and utilize a foam roller
Stretching following practice is an excellent routine that will aid in the healing process and enhance your flexibility. Muscle lengthening improves circulation and speeds up the recuperation process.
Additionally, aim to schedule time each day for foam rolling. It’s an excellent habit to develop because it helps to unwind your muscles and increases blood flow. By applying pressure to knotty areas, you can alleviate tension and regain range of motion, allowing your body to relax and recuperate.
- Hydration
In everyday living, you need to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. However, it is even more critical to do so while exercising. Additionally, many swimmers are unaware of how much they sweat in the water.
If the chlorine taste from the pool makes the taste of freshwater a little weird, try some lightly diluted squash. You are not an Olympic athlete who trains for many hours each day; thus, avoid consuming an excessive amount of sugar, which will negatively influence your blood sugar level.
- Sleep is important.
You’ve heard and read this numerous times, but it’s still true: You need adequate sleep. Ideally, you should sleep about 8-10 hours per night, but if this is not possible for whatever reason, compensate by taking naps throughout the day.
Because most of your body’s recuperation work occurs while you sleep, this is a critical component of training. Therefore, keep electronics out of your bedroom. Maintain a dark, quiet, and cold bedroom (optimal sleeping temperatures are between 19 and 21 degrees Celsius) and develop a nightly ritual that will prepare your body and mind for sleep.
- Properly refuel.
Maintaining a healthy diet is crucial for us two-a-day swimmers. Prepare a protein-carbohydrate combination to consume following practice to jumpstart glycogen recovery, particularly following your AM workout to aid in recovery between sessions.
You’ve been taught that you should consume something within 30 minutes to two hours of completing your workout. Still, research indicates that this is only necessary if you plan to train again within an eight-hour window (which for most swimmers is entirely possible).
- Utilize compression gearing.
Another technique for rapid healing is to wear restrictive clothing. While compression trousers are the most prevalent, high-performance athletes also wear compression tops and socks. Compression clothing has been demonstrated to aid the body in removing toxins from muscle tissue, hence expediting the recovery process.
After a high-intensity workout or race, change into some compression clothes. They’re particularly beneficial to wear between heats and finals at meetings when it’s critical to recovering rapidly.
- Get a massage following your workout.
Your muscles acquire knots and tiny rips as a result of challenging swimming exercises. This is natural, given the increased force required to go over the water. Bear in mind that water is several times thicker than air, which means that swimmers need more effort to move than runners. As a result, muscular fatigue, microtears, and lactic acid accumulation occur.
Utilizing a massage gun is one approach to maintain blood flow and encourage muscle healing. These devices aid in muscle recovery by breaking down lactic acid buildup in the muscles, which leaves you feeling more relaxed and less achy following exercise.
Monitor Your Progress
Along with the tips, effective warm-up and stretching exercises are critical for preventing injury during swim workouts. Strengthening the shoulder, namely the rotator cuff, scapular, and core muscles, will result in a more robust and efficient stroke. Once you have mastered the freestyle, you can progress to other strokes. By alternating between different strokes, repetitive motion is avoided, which might result in overuse problems.
Keep track of your recuperation activities in your training record for a few weeks. Make connections between your recovery activities (what you ate, how soon after practice you ate, how much warm-down you required/performed, and so on) and how you feel throughout the following sessions. You should not be shocked if you feel more energized or stronger. That is the purpose of recovery.
