CrossFit. It may have sounded like a fancy new workout when it was first brought up to you by one of your “health enthusiast” friends. But only true CrossFitters know the level of discipline and seriousness it takes for you to survive the box, or at least have the determination to come back.

CrossFit rose up, grew and became a global phenomenon. J.C. Herz wrote the book, “Learning to Breathe Fire”, wherein you can know about the rise of CrossFit and will make you want to be part of it!

Truth is, CrossFit is more than a fad. It’s more than an article found in your favorite local health magazine. It’s more than the ropes and mats you see on Instagram. It builds a community of people helping each other to achieve goals in a setting where teamwork and motivation is as high as the intensity of WODs (Workout of the Day)

Now that we’re touching intensity, (and believe me when I say that CrossFit personifies that word) It is but human that we have to regain whatever we lost from a brutal WOD.

So, what’s the real score when we don’t recover right from the sore?

• Low energy
• Irregular breathing
• Headaches
• Muscle fiber breakdown
• Slow reflexes
• Adrenal issues
• ..and a lot more energy-stripped consequences

Training is as good as the recovery. And by recovery, although we feel like it’s just a combination of rest and lots of sleep, it is actually more than that.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO RECOVER RIGHT:

• Get the right amount of sleep. It’s not just for the growing child, it’s for everyone. Sleep is like hard resetting your body. It recharges you mentally and physically. Hours of sleep depends on a person’s lifestyle but the usual needed hours is between 7-10 hours, especially for athletes.

• Keep yourself well-hydrated. The easiest way to check if you are properly hydrated is to look at the color of your pee. The clearer it is, the better. Also, energy drinks should be limited to before, during and after the training. Treating it as water in terms of consumption is not advisable as it has components that make your system process more causing more strain. As much as possible, stick to lime if you want that added flavor in your water.

• What you eat has the capacity to nourish or damage. There isn’t that one perfect diet to give you your healthiest state possible. Just shy away from the basic restrictions like sodas, processed foods, alcohol etc. Eating healthy is not a walk in the park so we suggest that you do your groceries ahead and pair it with a meal plan so you know what to prepare on a certain day.

• Warm up is a staple before the grind–this is common knowledge among CrossFitters. What we can advise as an additional tip is to do this even if you’re not in the box just so that muscles are stretched and trained every now and then. Do the dynamic stretching pre-WOD and the static ones after workouts.

• Warm and cold compresses are a couple of the oldest tricks in the books and is still recommended up to this day for a reason. Some skip these because they take time especially if you are in between sessions but investing time will keep those unexpected injuries at bay. Always remember that a cold compress attends to inflamed muscles as it numbs the pain a bit. And a warm compress is for muscle, chronic pain and stress.