The Importance of Recovery

We’ve all been there after several days of working out nonstop. We’re sore and achy, and we don’t feel like putting ourselves through that stress again. But we do because that’s what we think is vital to our workout regime. We don’t want to quit or lose our momentum.

However, strenuously working out with no breaks can actually be detrimental your body. A recent US News & World Report article explained it well, saying: “If you don’t allow your muscles to recover between workouts, you could actually be decreasing your fitness—or worse. In people who exercise moderately to vigorously, experts say, not giving the muscles sufficient downtime can cause overtraining, physical and mental fatigue . . . difficulty sleeping, decreased immunity, mood swings and overuse injuries, such as stress fractures, muscle strains and joint pain.”

Wow! No one needs all those problems!

But why does that happen? Check out the science behind what’s going on with your body:

Exercise is a catabolic event, meaning it causes breakdown in the body. The protein filaments within your muscle fibers, which help you produce force, are torn as your stores of fuels, including glucose, are depleted. Immediately after a workout, the body goes through an alarm stage—a matter of hours or an entire day, depending on how long and intense the exercise session—during which it is in a kind of shock, and immune function is suppressed. Then comes the replenishment stage, when the body restores its fuels and mends muscle. Finally, during the compensation phase, rebuilding and progress happen, so you’re able to run a bit faster or lift a bit more the next time.

If you fail to give your body time to recover, you will keep it from reaching that compensation phase.

So slow it down! That doesn’t mean you have to sit around and do nothing. Though once in a while, you certainly can do that, especially if you’re really sore. That’s called passive recovery.

But you can keep moving with light activities. That’s called active recovery. On these days, you can go for a walk. You can swim. You can do yoga or even go on a non-strenuous bike ride. These are all activities that help increase blood flow in your body but that don’t add strain to the muscles.

When you take the time to do some active recovery after or between workouts, you will help reduce lactic acid buildup in your muscles. You will increase the blood flow to muscle tissue. And you will reduce the chances for tears in your muscles. Your body needs this down time.

PI knows the importance of recovery and has created some awesome supplements to aid in this process.

PI supplements

We know that sometimes your body needs help. That’s why we’ve done the research and we’ve read the studies. Our team wants to help you be the healthiest possible you.

So check these out to see how we can help you feel better and recover after your workouts:

1) Post-Workout BCAA

Our Post-Workout BCAA will help you recover faster, as it supports muscle growth and recovery. In addition to the branched-chain amino acids, which fuel your muscles after a workout, our post-workout contains L-glutamine, taurine (for metabolic support), and electrolytes.

2) Joint Support Plus

Our Joint Support Plus contains glucosamine sulphate, boswellia, chondroitin, and turmeric for improved joint comfort and mobility.  

3) Turmeric Curcumin

Our Turmeric Curcumin is a natural anti-inflammatory and a powerful antioxidant that can help you manage the muscle inflammation and soreness that come after a workout.

4) Collagen Peptides

Our new Collagen Peptide formula is hydrolyzed with types I and III collagen. Collagen is integral to the support of healthy joints, hair, skin, nails, and digestion. As we get older, our bodies produce less of this vital protein. We understand that, so we created this new formula to help you take care of your body.

Go on and enjoy the days that you hit the gym. Enjoy the workouts. But take the time to recover with some light exercises and some PI supplements. Your body will thank you!