What do you do to recover after a day in the mountains or after a workout? Everyone has their own process of recovery when it comes to working out, climbing, running, hiking, etc. This is an in-site to what I do recover after a day or days out climbing or mountaineering.

I have a few different methods of recovery after a big day of physical activity. I drink protein shakes and BCAA’s or branched chained amino acids after a workout or climbing. If you’ve never heard of BCAA’s, google it now and read about it. Virtually our bodies need amino acids to build muscle and help with body functions. We get BCAA’s through our diet and some we get through supplements you can buy from a GNC store. I use this brand called Gnarly which uses all natural ingredients, has Non-GMO ingredients and is vegan. I’m not vegan but I still drink this stuff.

I’ll also do a ton of stretching, foam rolling, and I have a massage gun that I’ll use to loosen up some tight muscles if I go hard at the gym or climbing. All 3 of these things increase blood flow which will speed up the recovery process and keeps my muscles to not feel tight. Flexibility is key for climbing or in life in general. Even if you don’t climb, hike, or mountaineer, I hope you will at least stretch and foam roll to live your everyday life. I also use this thing called the Pso-Rite which is just a hard piece of plastic that you lie on and cry because it hurts, but my god do you feel amazing after using this thing. Your Psoas is another muscle that if you haven’t heard of, hit that google button and learn about it. Virtually most people who have a tight lower back have tight psoas, hip flexors and hamstrings. I struggle with having a tight back, so I need to continuously stretch and roll to not feel it as much.

I’m also grateful to have access to a sauna which I try to use a few times a week or at least once a week. A sauna has many health benefits too and I love being able to use one. Cold plunges or cold showers is another thing I will continue to implement into my routine of recovery. My homie J put me on to cold plunges/ showers and it’s definitely something I’ll continue to get better at. Not only for a better mental state but also for my breathing and my anxiety. If you plan to do cold plunges, please be safe about it and have another person with you, pick rivers or lakes that are close to safety in case of emergencies. Also bring towels and warm, dry clothes to change right in to.

As always, this blog post is something that works for me and my body. Whatever methods you use, I hope you stay consistent and do something, anything to recover after days in the mountains or even in a gym.

Happy Holidays and thank you for reading!

-John