Recovery isn’t just icing your legs or taking a day off. It’s one of the most important parts of actually getting better at any sport. Most athletes are training, lifting, conditioning and building a grind mentality when they exercise, but we rarely talk about what happens after the workout. The truth is simple: If you don’t recover right, you won’t perform to the best of your ability and you risk injury.

One of the biggest parts of recovery is sleep. It sounds boring, but it’s the only time your body will repair muscle fibers and reset your nervous system. When athletes push through the early mornings and late nights, they don’t give their body enough time to repair. This affects their overall athletic ability over time.

Fueling also matters just as much. After a workout if you don’t eat or hydrate right, your body has nothing to rebuild with. Carbs helps fuel your energy, and protein helps repair muscles. Within your workout you need 30 minutes to get something in your body. If you don’t eat right then, your body will be affected throughout the days and weeks of your athletic performances.

Mobility is also an important part of getting to your full potential. The Timpview Football team would stretch after lifts and before they practice. This helps loosen up the body and keeps you moving. It prevents tightness that eventually turns into injuries. Ten minutes of stretching can save you from two weeks on the sideline due to pulled muscles.

Mental recovery is something athletes often overlook. Sports will put a ton of pressure on you mentally and physically. You need to be able to take a break by stepping away from your phone, hanging out with people you like and giving your mind time to recover. One of the best things that have helped my mental health is having a short memory when something doesn’t go my way. I take the quick lesson and learn from it, and get ready for what’s next. Positive self talk is also just important. The brain is powerful when you feed it positive things your performance will skyrocket.

Cold and hot therapy is also another important part to recovery. Senior Amaya Tolman, a multi-sport athlete at Timpview says, ”Cold Plunges give me a quick reset to get ready for my next practice.” The cold shocks your body but takes away inflammation quickly. The cold water keeps your legs from feeling swollen and heavy the next day. Hot tubs work almost the opposite. The heat relaxes everything and the warm water helps your body loosen up and recover without that tight, stiff feeling.

Recovery is just as important as training, and even the best athletes in the world spend millions on their own body to keep their athletic performance up.