The truth is there are always better trainers, better coaches, better recovery methods, etc., if you are able to afford them. However, unless you or your parents have hundreds of thousands of dollars sitting around that you could allocate towards cryotherapy chambers, hyperbaric chambers, or Normatec leg boots, these are most likely the best options.
Without further ado, here are my top five methods for recovery.
#5: Stretching- Stretching is quick, simple, and low-cost. It does not necessarily require equipment, although a band could be incorporated here and there. All that is required is a willingness to go out and learn about basketball-specific stretching. With that said, any stretching is better than no stretching most of the time and lack of information should never be used as an excuse to not take action. I have not made a video on my stretching (or foam rolling) routines but that’s something I may consider in the future.
#4: Foam Rolling- Similar to stretching, foam rolling is relatively simple and cost efficient. Once again, you just have to be willing to learn how to do it. If you don’t want to buy anything, you can get creative with objects around the house, but basic foam rollers can be relatively cheap. If you can, I do recommend getting a vibrating foam roller. Although a little more expensive, they are worth it. Mine is from Next Roller and has lasted about a year now.
Concerning foam rolling and stretching: If you want to separate yourself, stretch and foam roll; if you want to separate yourself even more, count slowly when you stretch and foam roll slowly as well.
#3: Cold Showers/Contrast Showers- A cold shower is just cold. A contrast shower is when you alternate between hot and cold. For example, I like doing three sets of cold for one minute, hot for one minute, and then ending with cold for five minutes. You always want to make sure you end on cold. Both of these are beneficial, the contrast shower slightly more so, but it does take longer.
#2: Ice Baths- Like cold showers but with more suffering. If I take an ice bath, I stay in it for ten minutes. Ideally, there’s a ton of ice in the tub. I get my ice by periodically emptying ice trays into a tub that’s kept in our basement freezer. The tub is limited so the ice in my bath is limited too. Try to get as much as you can and if you can’t get any ice, a cold bath is still beneficial.
#1: Rest, sleep, and nutrition- The best recovery methods are natural and should not be overlooked. Generally speaking, one day a week should be taken away from training to allow the body time to recover. Nine hours of sleep per night allows for the maximum amount of recovery between days in terms of sleep. Nutrition is pretty self-explanatory; if you eat crap, you will not recover very well.
These are my favorite recovery for general use. Meditation can also help with recovery along with some other methods that are a little more “out there.” Meditation is about as far as I go in that area but feel free to experiment if you find something else that intrigues you!
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