Recover Smarter: How Your Nervous System Shapes Your Recovery
Why Recovery Starts in Your Nervous System
When you think of your recovery day(s), do you think of minimal movement, a walk, or stretching? My goal is to broaden your thinking when it comes to recovering and shift your thinking into recovering with intention. Every movement, lift, or sprint sends signals from your brain to your muscles. When your Central Nervous System (CNS) is fatigued, progress stalls. Recovery really is not optional, it’s essential to reach the performance you’re looking for.
Your Two Nervous Systems
Sympathetic (“Fight or Flight”): Activated during training, stress, or high alert moments
Parasympathetic (“Rest and Digest”): Activated during recovery, sleep, and moments you feel relaxed
The goal: Balance both. Too much sympathetic activity slows recovery, reduces performance, and increases injury risk.
Your CNS is your body’s command center, it controls muscle activation, coordination, focus, and even your ability to adapt to stress. When it’s overworked, you might notice:
Slower reaction times
Reduced strength or endurance
Poor sleep or focus
Low motivation
Elevated resting heart rate and lower HRV
Even if your muscles feel fine, an exhausted nervous system can limit your performance. The CNS determines whether you’re in a state of readiness or a state of fatigue.
By learning to read your body’s signals and intentionally activating your parasympathetic system, you train your body to recover faster, perform better, and sustain longterm progress.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV): A tool to use to track where you’re at
High HRV: Your body is adaptable, resilient, and ready to perform
Low HRV: Your body is stressed and needs more recovery
Tracking HRV helps you know when to push hard and when to prioritize recovery.
Recovery Tools That Train Your Nervous System
Incorporate these for faster, smarter recovery:
Cold Plunges: Stimulate the vagus nerve and parasympathetic rebound
Sauna: Boost circulation and promote relaxation
Contrast Therapy (Hot and Cold): Alternating between hot and cold exposure enhances circulation, reduces soreness, and helps the nervous system reset
Foam Rolling and Stretching: Reduce muscle tension and signals your body to relax
Compression Therapy: Enhances circulation and reduce soreness
Breathwork or Meditation: Calm your CNS, improve HRV
Why Recovery Matters for Performance
Intentional recovery gives your body the opportunity to recover faster between workouts, reduce fatigue and injury risk, improve strength, endurance, and focus, and ultimately give you the most bang for your buck - work smarter, not harder. Next “rest day,” remember: it’s an opportunity to train your recovery, not just pause. Your nervous system truly can catapult your performance.Ways to Train Your Recovery This Week
Activate Parasympathetic: Try 5-10 minutes of deep breathing or meditation daily
Cold and Heat: Cold plunge or contrast with sauna to support your nervous system
Move Mindfully: Foam roll or stretch to release tension and signal recovery
Check Your HRV: Track readiness and adjust training intensity accordingly
Rest Intentionally: Keep tabs on what your body is communicating to you and make adjustments as needed
