The 4 Pillars of Recovery
In today's episode, we're focusing on the essential pillars of recovery: sleep, movement, nutrition, and understanding change, adaptation, and stress management.Did you know that each dimension of health has its own stress cycle? Physical stressors are necessary for growth and performance, while mental stressors help us stay focused and prevent boredom. Emotional stressors strengthen our relationships and foster gratitude, while social stressors are inevitable and require healthy approaches to conflict resolution.We'll also discover how facing existential stressors and navigating life transitions helps us grow stronger. Movement stress and recovery are influenced by the fatigue and energy demands of physical activity, and the neurological, mechanical, and mental aspects of each activity determine its impact on our stress levels.Join us as we explore the importance of the stress-rest cycle and adequate recovery time to prevent burnout and maximize the benefits of movement. We'll delve into the crucial role of high-quality sleep in muscle growth and recovery, and how breath work activities, active recovery, and bodywork can enhance physical recovery.
Heart Rate Variability Explained - All About HRV
Welcome back to another episode of The FlowCast! In today's episode, we're diving deep into the world of HRV (Heart Rate Variability) and exploring its importance in measuring recovery and bounce back from physical or mental efforts. We'll explore what HRV is, how to measure it using devices like Apple Watches, Whoop bands, Oura rings, and Fitbits, and the significance of long-term trends over daily fluctuations. Join us as we discuss the average and long-term trends in HRV, understanding good and bad numbers, and how to interpret and make modifications based on HRV data to improve performance and prevent burnout. We'll also touch on the impact of HRV on illness prediction and recovery time, as well as its implications for athletes and their training regimens. So sit back, relax, and get ready to dive into the fascinating world of HRV on The FlowCast! Oh, and don't forget to subscribe to our channel and like this video to help us reach more people. Let's find our flow together!
Unlocking Optimal Performance: Understanding Recovery Metrics
"On this episode of The FlowCast, host RJ Kayser delves into the importance of measuring recovery. The episode begins with the speaker suggesting alternatives to vices such as watching TV or consuming unhealthy food, which often serve as coping mechanisms for underlying stress. Addressing stress is crucial for long-term recovery, and the impact of stress on recovery will be explored in future episodes.
The speaker then introduces objective measurements like heart rate, heart rate variability, and breath rate as ways to assess recovery. Blood and urine measurements for cortisol levels are not practical for most people, so devices like Apple Watch, WHOOP, Ring, and Fitbit are recommended. These devices provide scores for readiness, recovery level, and stress using algorithms. Trends in heart rate over time can reveal levels of stress and recovery, but it is important to establish personal baselines before using the device during stressful periods.
In addition to objective measurements, subjective measurements play a key role in understanding recovery. Factors such as stress levels, feelings of readiness, and perceived exertion in the gym can be assessed subjectively using a scale from 1 to 10. The speaker suggests assessing stress levels and recovery scores in the morning and at the end of the day.
The episode emphasizes the importance of looking at both subjective and objective measurements to get a complete understanding of recovery. It also touches on the potential pitfalls of relying solely on technology and the need for self-awareness in managing stress and recovery. Examples from strongman competitions and other performance situations highlight the importance of being prepared and achieving optimal baseline levels of stress and replenishment for peak performance.
The episode concludes by discussing the variations in measurements provided by different devices such as the Ora Ring, WHOOP, Fitbit, and Apple Watch. Despite these differences, the devices tend to be consistent in the numbers they provide, enabling users to track their recovery trends over time.
Overall, this episode of The FlowCast offers valuable insights into measuring recovery and stress levels, providing listeners with practical advice for optimizing their performance and well-being."
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Exploring Recovery Across the Lifespan
On this episode of The FlowCast, we delve into the topic of recovery across our lifespan. In our thirties, we explore the importance of finding joy through hobbies and managing stress through support systems, like friends, family, and therapy. Sleep also becomes a critical component of recovery as our careers become more demanding.
Moving into our forties, we discuss the need for moderation and extended recovery time due to hormonal shifts and life cycle changes. Strategies for boosting recovery, such as limiting alcohol and caffeine consumption, are highlighted, along with the importance of adequate protein intake for injury prevention.
In our fifties and beyond, recovery becomes even more crucial with fewer opportunities for high-intensity performance and a need for longer recovery periods. We emphasize the significance of a solid support system and stress management practices to maintain performance and health in this stage of life.
Throughout the entire life cycle, we stress the importance of consistency and prioritizing recovery to achieve the highest levels of performance and enjoy activities for longer. Join us on The FlowCast as we explore recovery through different stages of life and provide insights and tips for optimizing your recovery journey.
Topics Covered:
- Recovery in our thirties
- Seeking support for managing stress in our thirties
- Importance of sleep in our thirties
- Recovery in our forties
- Strategies for boosting recovery in our forties
- Protein needs and recovery in our forties
- Recovery in our fifties and beyond
- Importance of support system and stress management in our fifties and beyond
- Consistency and prioritizing recovery throughout our life cycle
Recovery in our Thirties:
- Making time for hobbies and activities for joy and balance
- Seeking support from friends, family, or professionals
- Importance of sleep in managing stress
Recovery in our Forties:
- Need for moderation and extended recovery time
- Strategies for boosting recovery
- Importance of protein intake
Recovery in our Fifties and Beyond:
- Focus on recovery becomes crucial
- Importance of support system and stress management
Tips and Recommendations:
- Prioritizing recovery and self-awareness in our twenties
- Developing self-awareness through meditation and objective measurements
- Active recovery techniques, such as sauna and cold plunges
- Mindfulness practices like journaling for stress management
- Setting boundaries to maintain balance and avoid burnout (book recommendation: "Boundaries" by Henry Cloud and John Townsend)
FlowCast #63 | Mitigating Risk When Returning To The Gym
With the fitness industry starting to come back into action in Ontario in the coming weeks, it’s important to think about your recovery and making a sensible approach to resuming your performance in the gym.
In today’s podcast, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on how you can:
Ramp up training now to handle to shift better.
Approach the gym in a responsible way to avoid overtraining and injury when getting back into the routine.
The importance of considering your recovery practices during this time.
Peak performance monthly coaching is where you’ll find advanced training and coaching each month on the topics that will have you performing in a peak state. You can learn more about the program at https://www.flowacademy.ca/peak-performance-monthly-coaching-1
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The FlowCast is brought to you by Flow Spa. Flow Spa is Peterborough’s float therapy and sports recovery centre, dedicated to providing the ultimate relaxation experience. Whether you need physical relief from pain or a deep state of mental relaxation and calm or the best methods of recovery from athletic training, Flow Spa is where you can Find Your Flow.
Iron Warrior 2019 | FlowCast #27 with Dr. Sean Francis
Dr. Sean is a chiropractor, fitness bootcamp instructor, Canadian Reserves member, family man, and productivity master.
In this episode, we dive into his recent performance at the Canadian Forces Iron Warrior 2019 competition which is a gruelling military-style Iron Man event. We talk about the training and recovery leading up to the competition, how Dr. Sean improved so much over past years, and the mindset that goes into enduring such an event. We also cover some great business and productivity advice that Dr. Sean has implemented to creating success in multiple realms.
Follow Dr. Sean Francis and Towerhill Chiropractic online!
Show Notes:
00:45 - Who is Dr. Sean Francis?
2:00 - Canadian Forces Iron Warrior - what is this gruelling race?
7:15 - The Hasty Ps 100 mile march
9:00 - Training for the Iron Warrior
9:30 - Dr. Sean’s results at this year’s Iron Warrior
12:30 - The importance of training to perform at the very best level
14:10 - Toughest day should never be in combat *
17:00 - Where Sean first recognized the flow state and got hooked on seeking it
20:00 - Physical cues for flow
22:30 - Nutrition strategies for this year’s Iron Warrior
29:30 - If/When, Then Statements
31:00 - Finding balance with everything that Sean does.
35:30 - Recovery and creating space in your body
37:00 - Dr. Sean’s recovery with floating and cold therapy
40:00 - Maintaining the engine that is your body * - Take care of yourself - days will get tough
FlowCast #16 | Peterborough's Strongman, Breath Work, and Animal Flow
This week’s podcast episode we got updates on the upcoming strongman competition happening in Peterborough, how the House Fitness breath workshop went and Telsi’s new Animal Flow coaching coming soon to Peterborough!
Mentioned In This Podcast:
FlowCast # 14 | Favourite Recovery Methods
Show Notes:
2:45 - Telsi’s 2 favourite steps to recovery
3:40 - What recovery methods do researchers recommend?
5:30 - How much sleep do NBA players get? (Including Lebron’s typical daily sleep time)
6:00 - Professional athletes sleep before important games and competitions
8:30 - Nutrition the day of versus the day before a game or competition
11:45 - Book recommendation - Good To Go
21:20 - Is Animal Flow good for recovery?
26:00 - Recovery of the mind
30:20 - Sleep before competitions revisited
34:20 - Counter-intuitive effects of recovery for sports like powerlifting
35:10 - Busy Mind = Busy Body
37:40 - Nature for de-stressing.
Books mentioned in this episode: