Whether it's during sport or in our often hectic everyday lives, the valuable phase of rest often falls by the wayside! While we routinely plug our smartphone into the charger in the evening so that we can use it the next day, we expect our body and mind to be constantly ready to function and work. But why we also need to recharge our batteries and what ideal regeneration looks like so that you can maintain your mental and physical performance into old age, you can find out here!
No battery, no power
The technical devices that make our lives easier do it right: they emit an irritating sound or visually indicate the fault with the signal colour red: Time to charge the battery. Strictly speaking, our body does the same! It communicates "time to regenerate" through sore muscles, restless sleep and an increased heart rate!
Despite all the motivation to constantly increase our own physical performance, to climb the career ladder and to reconcile all this with an inspiring (family) life, we must not forget to listen for the sake of our health. When our body reminds us that it needs a break, we should make time for it at the latest. If we don't listen, this can have serious consequences. Our own perception of stress makes a significant contribution here: too little rest drains resources and makes us less resilient. The result: we feel stress. And around 26 percent of people in Germany alone are affected by it. If it becomes a constant companion, it increases the likelihood of mental illness, burnout and cardiovascular disease.
On a physical level, a lack of regeneration phases can be accompanied by a considerable loss of performance, undoing training successes and ultimately causing frustration.
Learning from the pros
Many athletes cross boundaries and constantly put themselves in danger of exceeding and overexerting themselves. Because with their own training, many pursue the goal of pushing their own limits of performance or maintaining them at a very high level.
Every training session costs our organism a lot of energy, causes targeted structural damage to the muscles, influences our metabolism and weakens our immune system for a short period of time. In order for the body's regeneration processes to run optimally as a result of these changes, time, energy sources and spare parts such as proteins are needed. For the ideal balance in our training, but also in our everyday life, it is therefore worth taking a look at the professionals. Top athletes are insanely disciplined, in terms of training, but also in terms of regeneration. In addition to a strict training schedule, they also follow a regeneration plan. Only if we support our organism optimally through time, nutrition and sleep will the stimulating training stimuli bear fruit. It is therefore worthwhile to provide your own daily routine with targeted time-outs, depending on the previous stress.
For your daily practice
Training and everyday life are highly individual, with this practical tip you can optimally plan and implement your regeneration:
|
Training stimulus |
Recovery time |
|
Endurance training |
24 – 48 Hours |
|
Muscle training |
72 – 84 Hours |
|
Learn processes |
72 – 84 Hours |
|
Mental stress |
48 Hours |
Top 5 for purposive regeneration
|
Measures |
Tip |
|
Cool down |
Cool shower after exercise to relax the heated, energised or restless body. |
|
Nutrition |
Daily 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight in regular training phases, in intensive phases it should be two grams to promote the regeneration of muscle structures. In addition, protein is a satiating energy supplier that also contributes to a restful sleep in the evening. |
|
Drinks |
After sport, approx. 500 ml for the inner cool down. But also to promote the removal of bad substances. Alcohol should be avoided after training. Its degradation binds the body's own resources and prevents regeneration. |
|
Active recovery |
An after-work round, especially after muscle training or mentally demanding days, support the organism through the monotonous, rhythmic movement and fresh air to set the physical and mental recovery process in motion. |
|
Sleep |
At least eight hours per night, at 18 degrees room temperature. Ideally, do not use any electronic devices for one hour before going to bed in order to shut down mentally. |
As simple as all this sounds, it is difficult when everyday life interferes with it in its full force. But I would like to motivate you to invest in your regeneration just as much as in your training - for more performance, vitality and quality of life!
Source:
VITA
Prof. Dr. Ingo Froböse
Born in 1957 in Unna, Ingo Froböse studied at the German Sport University in Cologne. This was followed by his doctorate in 1986 and his habilitation seven years later. During his studies he was German vice-champion several times in the 100 and 200 metre sprints. In 1982 he came fourth in the 200 metres at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Milan. He was also active in bobsleighing.
Prof. Dr. Ingo Froböse has been a university professor for prevention and rehabilitation in sport at the German Sport University Cologne since 1995, where he also leads the Institute for Exercise Therapy. He is an expert for the Bundestag on prevention issues and works for several health insurance companies as a scientific advisor in the field of preventive health care. In addition, he is the scientific director of the Research Institute for Training in Prevention (FIT-Prävention) under the umbrella of the expert Allianz für Gesundheit e. V. The best-selling author has written numerous books on health, nutrition and fitness and is a permanent member of expert teams in renowned magazines, including Stern, Fit for Fun, GQ and Men's Health.
On stage, Ingo Froböse combines scientific expertise with personal experience and bundles them into a practical philosophy of life and targeted recommendations for action. Based on more than 30 years of research, he explains in his lectures what effects the digital revolution has on our health and what we can learn from top-class sport. Ingo Froböse also reveals how we can use the right balance of exercise, nutrition and regeneration to change our everyday life and work in order to be sustainably efficient, healthy and successful.