Resting and recovery.
You see, I learned from experience — both my successes and failures — especially the night before a tournament…
Rest and a good night’s sleep were paramount so my body would be at its best the day of the fight.
In fact, in just a single day at the 1967 All-American Grand Championship, I had thirteen fights in eleven hours!
And I won the tournament by one point!
Talk about ending a day on a super high…
I was dead tired and never would’ve been able to push myself to the brink without giving my body time to rest and recover the night before.
kim, you probably know — getting enough rest has numerous benefits…
Like alleviating muscle soreness, repairing your body and mind, replenishing energy, and optimizing your overall performance!
That goes whether you’re fighting in martial arts tournaments… running errands… or simply trying to live your best life.
And especially as you get older, resting and recovery become all the more important.
Now, don’t worry — I’m not about to tell you to go to bed an hour earlier, or turn off the TV before tucking in. (If you want to do those things, great!)
But today, I’ve got an even better tip you can use to help your body recover… and it only takes a few minutes each day.
You see, when you exercise, stretch, or even go about your daily chores — your muscles are exposed to stress, which causes them to break down. (Don’t worry, this is a good thing.)
Your body then repairs your muscles, building them up bigger and stronger.
But as you age, it takes your muscles longer to bounce back…
And if they’re not fully recovered, you could be at risk of injury.
This is why regular rest and recovery are so important.
Now, one of my favorite ways to help my body recover is with something I call the Tennis Ball Protocol.
It’s easy to do, only takes a few minutes, and all you need is a tennis ball and a wall!
Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Place a tennis ball on a tense part of your body, such as your shoulder, calf, hamstrings, or lower back.
(I highly recommend the soles of your feet after a long day or a rather intense workout. It might be one of the best foot massages you’ll ever get.)
Step 2: Lean against a wall or lie on the floor, ‘pinching’ the tennis ball between your body and the surface.
Step 3: Gently rock your body back and forth so the tennis ball rolls over your tense muscles.
If your muscles are very tender and you’re in pain, apply less pressure to the area. If you don’t feel anything at all, apply more pressure.
The key is to find the sweet spot where you’re relieving tension and working out any knots… but not to the point of discomfort.
And remember, when it comes to rest and recovery, a little goes a long way.
Even just taking 10 minutes out of your day to focus on muscle recovery or taking a day or two off can make a world of difference to help keep your body strong and healthy for the long haul.
Because, like in life, when you want to win, you’ve got to work hard…
But you also have to rest hard so your mind, body, and spirit can recover, renew, repair, and rebuild before the next fight.
Work to win.
Recover to preserve.