​Smart arrangement of exercise intervals - the principle of super recovery

Friends who exercise regularly will know that after doing some strength training such as lifting dumbbells for a period of time, their muscle strength and muscle volume will increase, and the whole body will look stronger. After doing some aerobic exercises such as jogging, cycling, swimming, etc. for a period of time, you will find that you are no longer out of breath during exercise, your breathing rhythm is better, and your endurance has increased.

In fact, no matter what kind of exercise you do, as long as you stick to it for a period of time, you will see some improvement. But how can you improve your body's functional state in the shortest possible time and reduce the possibility of sports injuries? This is the topic I'm going to talk about today - the principle of super recovery.

The super recovery principle means that after exercise, muscles or muscle groups will experience moderate fatigue and a certain degree of decline in morphological function. With an appropriate amount of rest, the strength and morphological function of the muscles can be restored to the level before exercise, and within a certain period of time, they can continue to rise and exceed the original level. As the rest time increases, they gradually decline back to the original functional level.

The picture above shows the state of muscle tissue when you do exercise. Although the body will be in a state of fatigue and need to recover for a period of time after exercise, after the recovery period, the state of muscle tissue will surpass the original state and enter the super recovery period. At this stage, the state of related tissues is higher than before exercise. Seize this opportunity and do a second exercise. Then the body state will be much higher than before exercise. This is the principle and essence of exercise to improve body function.

How long is the reasonable interval between two exercises?

Some experts pointed out that for each person, the length of time to achieve super recovery is determined by factors such as their own physical fitness, nutritional status, and their own recovery ability and sleep status. So you should ask your body how long you should rest for super recovery. Observe your own situation. However, the big data summary after comprehensive normal people shows that fast running exercises such as sprinting need to rest for 36 to 48 hours before the second training, such as weightlifting, dumbbells, and upward force need to rest for 48 to 72 hours, and aerobic exercises such as jogging, medium-speed cycling, and swimming need to rest for 12 to 24 hours before the second exercise. In short, during this period of time, our body's muscle tissue has entered the super recovery period, and what we have to do is to conduct the second training in this stage. Repeat again and again, physical fitness can be improved most efficiently.

Finally, what I want to tell you is that exercise is a natural medicine that can help us improve our physical fitness and immunity, thereby improving our quality of life and life span. Life lies in exercise, but you must pay attention to exercising reasonably and choose the frequency, type, and duration of exercise based on your physical foundation and condition. Using the principle of super recovery to plan an exercise plan must be efficient and effective. If you have any questions about the methods of daily exercise, or want professionals to tailor your own exercise plan, you are welcome to visit the Rehabilitation Medicine Department of Xinhua Hospital for consultation.