Off Duty, Military Health and Fitness - Navy Times

Military Muscle: Recovery time is key to improvement

Q. I have a mild case of plantar fasciitis. Can you recommend some stretches that will help me?

A. Plantar fasciitis, one of the most common causes of heel pain, is caused by the inflammation of the plantar fascia on the underside of the foot, the tissue connecting the heel bone to the toe.

Work on the plantar fascia directly by rolling your foot across a tennis ball or an unopened soda can. Stretches connected to the calf muscles and the Achilles tendon can also help. Do your Achilles tendon stretch on an incline board or, if outside, on a curb. Leg-strengthening exercises, especially for the calf area (such as raising yourself up on your toes) will help to stabilize your ankle and heel.

The question also raises a critical but often overlooked principle of fitness: rest, recovery and regeneration.

Last year, I experimented with forced rest periods from my strength-training regimen, and in each case, when I came back from my rest period, I was able to kick my performance level up 5 percent to 10 percent.

Whether you’re training in the gym or in the field, fatigue and microtrauma are going to set in — after a strenuous event or from the accumulation of strenuous events. Employing various strategies to foster recovery is key to the body’s ability to adapt to increased physical demands.

Last week, I completed some awesome training sessions on this subject with Russ Orr at Athletes’ Performance Institute. He reinforced some important concepts:

• Sleep. Both the body and the mind are renewed with sleep. Think about your best workout sessions — your energy level was high and it seemed there was nothing that you couldn’t do. You probably remember having a good night’s sleep the night before, right?

• Massage. Get on the floor and roll the different parts of your body back and forth over a medicine ball, tennis ball, foam roller or a piece of 3- to 4-inch PVC pipe for 30 seconds each. When you find a particularly sore spot, focus on that spot for about 10 seconds. Spend 10 or 15 minutes at least once a week doing this at the end of your workout.

• Stretching. Stretching should be done at the conclusion of every workout. Every few workouts, devote a majority of your workout time to a full-body stretch session. That means starting at your feet and ending at your hands. Check out “Sport Stretch: 311 Stretches for 41 Sports” by Michael J. Alter for ideas.

• Hydrotherapy. What? Seriously. Hydrotherapy can be as simple as taking a shower and alternating between hot and cold (or cool) water. It’ll do your muscles good.

Plan for a regeneration-recovery day just as you would a training day. Before long, you will see the difference in strength and endurance.

________________________

Bob Thomas, a fitness trainer and retired naval flight officer, is director of the Navy Wellness Center in Pensacola, Fla. Got a fitness question? E-mail him at jomof14@cox.net.