The Top 6 Tips for Rugby Recovery

Anyone who plays knows that rugby is a grueling sport that can take a major toll on your body and your mind. When you’re mid-season, you don’t have time to think about it — You’re already onto the next match. That means you need to recover quickly.

“I think the biggest thing for all athletes is recovery — being able to bounce back from week to week, practice to practice, to come back in top form.” — Larry Fitzgerald

Here are our top six tips for rugby recovery.

Active Recovery and Rest

First things first, when you come off the field, cool down and let yourself recover. This complies with two of our favorite laws, the Law of Cooling Down and the Law of Rest Days. While you may not have enough time for a full rest day between games depending on the season, you shouldn’t head straight from the field to more intense activity. Give your body time and get a good sleep.

Stretching and Yoga

Alongside active recovery is stretching and another favorite addition to our recovery routine — yoga. Adding flexibility allows power, which also unlocks a crucial component of rugby: speed. A good stretch won’t only reset your muscles, help ensure you have full range of motion, and break down lactic acid to reduce soreness, but it will also give you a moment to start recovering mentally. Rugby is a demanding sport with big hits. Giving yourself a moment to breathe and visualize the next big win is an excellent way to expedite your recovery.

Eating Clean

Fuel is crucial not just before a game but afterward, too. If your body is a vehicle, you want to fill that baby up with premium gasoline. We’re talking the Law of Eating Whole Foods, proper protein intake, balanced meals, and super-loading your calories (maybe with some of these superfoods) for ultimate effectiveness. The more supplies your body has to rebuild from, the better your recovery will be.

Hydrate

This should go without saying, but as athletes, it can be easy to underestimate the sheer amount of water you need to put back into your body. Hydrate! Electrolytes, no post-game beers, and lots of water will help reset your body for your next match. On a hot, sunny day, you can also consider gels if you’ve expended significant energy and sweat. There are CBD options for a complete recovery boost these days as well — You can find ours in the shop.

Ice Bath

While it might seem like a new fad, a lot of athletes love ice baths to help with recovery. ONCE YOU’RE COOLED DOWN, logging some time by channeling your inner Wim Hof will help reduce inflammation (which is excellent if you suspect an injury may have occurred during gameplay) and assist with those tiny muscle tears we get from exerting ourselves and pushing to the limit. Ice baths also help increase circulation and, if you manage to push through the initial shock, can help regulate your breath and even provide a mental challenge to sharpen up your focus. Another great way to reduce inflammation is with a CBD product designed for athletes and recovery.

Compression

Finally, we love compression wear, and not just because it looks great and feels good to workout in — It is scientifically shown to help improve both performance and recovery. Compression gear helps increase the blood flow to the muscles you worked (promoting better, faster recovery), eases the muscles through the cool-down process after the game, and provides them with plenty of support.

When you’re taking big hits and putting your body through the paces, any helping hand you can give your system for recovery is crucial to hitting peak performance over and over during the season. Put these tips together to recover quickly and effectively — It’s go-time.

“I had to find the interconnection of my brain together with my physiology.” — Wim Hof