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Recovery tools

There’s plenty of talk about the injury risks associated with CrossFit, and the fact is that you can get injured doing any sport…or walking down the street, for that matter.
Yesterday in class, a student thanked me for incorporating a thorough warm up and mobility work into every class at CFM. I like to think of it as “prehab”…the more we can do the prevent injury through good mobility, the more likely you are to have a long, sustainable, healthy CrossFit career!
Recently I had to rehab a frustrating back injury… one that I sustained the week after lifting at USAPL Nationals, when I should have been taking it easy letting my body recover instead of plunging back into CrossFit. Many of you are curious about my progress back to healthy training, so I’m FINALLY writing about everything I do for recovery.
I realize many of us live on a tight budget, so I’m also including a price range for various recovery options, so you can prioritize and decide which might be right for you.

Recovery Aid	How it works	Cost	Where to go
Sleep	Quality sleep in a cool, dark room (especially between the hours of 10p-2a NIGHT OWLS!) is important for recovery & regeneration.	FREE	Your bed
Water	Drinking plenty of water flushes toxins from your body & prevents dehydration. Consume a MINIMUM of ½ oz of water per 1 pound of bodyweight.	FREE	The water cooler
Mobility	Most injuries are caused by a lack of mobility. Foam rolling and stretching regularly will speed recovery & increase range of motion of joints, to prevent injuries.	FREE	Anywhere! Do it when you wake up, on your own before/after CrossFit class or attend one of our free yoga classes (Free for CFM students Thurs 8:15p & Sun 6p)
Supplements For ALL CrossFitters, I recommend SFH post-workout protein (after workouts), SFH fish oil (daily) & Advocare Nighttime Recovery (before bed)	These supplements will speed recovery and decrease inflammation in the form of aches, pains & muscle soreness. SFH makes the cleanest, best quality protein & most highly concentrated fish oil I have found.	$25-65	Many are available in the CFM Pro Shop, online or at a local health food store.
Chiropractic & ART	The nervous system controls every organ, tissue & cell in the body. By gently adjusting the spine, a good chiropractor can remove the nerve interference (subluxation) that can create disease in the body. Active Release Techniques (ART) treats problems with muscles, nerves, ligaments, fascia & tendons. Headaches, back pain, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, joint pain & nagging athletic injuries are just a few conditions that can be resolved with ART.	$45 per wellness visit; $70 chiropractic adjustment & ART (monthly deals are available); insurance accepted	Midtown Life Studio at Juniper & 8th
Cryotherapy	During the three-minute session, you stand in the “cryosauna” (picture below) where cold nitrogen gas gets blown on your body, reducing your skin’s surface temperature. The cold air helps with athletic recovery, injury/pain relief, as well as additional aesthetic, health & wellness benefits.	$45-70 per session	Icebox Cryotherapy in Buckhead is offering a SPECIAL for CFM students – $75 for TWO sessions!
Sensory deprivation float chamber	Soak for 60-90 minutes in a big bathtub full of water & LOTS of epsom salts. Flotation is great for stress relief, relaxation & recovery. Once you’re settled, it is virtually impossible to distinguish what parts of your body are in contact with the water and which aren’t, tricking your brain into a “floating” sensation. Check out my video testimonial HERE.	$40-75 per 90-minute float	FLO2S in Little Five Points is offering a SPECIAL membership for CFM students – $99 per month gets you THREE one-hour floats (no contract required).
Massage	There are many different types of massage, but if you have an injury or lots of muscle soreness, a good sports massage can decrease muscle tension, provide pain relief, reduce inflammation and improve lymphatic movement to break up & release toxins.	Usually around $60 for one hour or $90 for 90 minutes.	I go to a massage therapist in Johns Creek, which is a HIKE! There are many good sports masseuses in Midtown though. CFM student & yoga teacher Monica Miller is one of them.

The “cryosauna” at Icebox Cryotherapy
One of two float chambers at FLO2S

Matt & Wes on Wednesday’s AMRAP…if you’re participating in the CFMakeover and haven’t tested the workouts yet, do them in any of tomorrow’s classes or during Sunday Open Gym 1-2p.

Today’s schedule

6a: All Levels CrossFit- Dyer
7a: All Levels CrossFit- Dyer
8a: All Levels CrossFit- Lis
12n: All Levels CrossFit- Beka
4p: All Levels CrossFit- Amy
5p: All Levels CrossFit- Amy
6p: All Levels CrossFit- Amy

Workout of the Day (WOD)

Buy in: 200m run
then: 40-30-20-10 reps of:
Lateral hops (over parallette)
Walking Lunges
Sit Ups
Double Unders
then: 20-15-10-5
Burpees
American KB Swing 53/35
Lateral box jumps 24/20
Cash out: 200m run

And coming tomorrow…

Make up the CFMakeover prelim workouts OR Team WOD outside
Work in teams of 2-4…the fewer teammates you have, the tougher the workout!
Buy in: partner carry 1 length of the parking lot (each partner must carry. scaled option: farmers carry with KBs)
100 atomic sit ups 45/25
100 russian kb swings 70/53
100 bench dips (use benches from inside)
100 overhead walking lunges 45/25
100 pull ups (Last part inside. Check the clock for your finishing time!)

*Surprise! Three times during the WOD your coach will yell “PLANK” and every team member has to drop and hold a plank for 20 seconds.
One team member working at a time.