The Recovery Day MOST Players Neglect

Recovery is perhaps the MOST overlooked part of football. While learning new skills and improving your game is important, how you take care of your body's recovery is often the missing link for many individuals. In today's video, we dive into what a professional recovery day might look like, breaking it down into a simple and easy-to-follow 12-step process to speed up your recovery and get you back training at your highest potential
Full Breakdown Below
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Game Day Recovery
Step 1: Post Game Cool Down ➜ Spend 20-30 minutes cooling down following the game/intense training. Start with dynamic movements & pulses, shifting to a static hold over the course of that time. Hold stretches for 15-30 seconds
Step 2: Cold to Hot Cycles ➜ 10-20 minutes going from cold to hot with a couple of minutes of rest in between
Step 3: Fuel your Body ➜ Consume something nourishing, that's high in protein & fats, 3-4 hours before bed. We had Tofu Tocos & a salad
Recovery Day (Next Day)
Step 4: Ease into the day ➜ Whether it's a morning stroll or a light stretch to stimulate the muscles. Spend 10-30 minutes waking up the body
Step 5: Foam Roller ➜ with the muscles loose (following the light movement/stretch), grab the roller for a 5-30 minute DIY massage. This encourages circulation to those fatigued areas, along with ironing out the fascia, aiding in the recovery
Step 6: Static Stretching ➜ Now that the muscles are more relaxed & pliable. Spending 10 minutes holding deep stretches ensures you're getting a jump start on reducing tightness
Step 7: Dynamic Stretching ➜ 20 minutes after your deep stretch, we move into a dynamic wake up. Getting the heart rate elevated, kick starting your body for a productive day
Step 8: The Recovery Session ➜ This is your training session for the day. Designed to be light, the structure of the routine is as follows:
Warm Up
jogging
skipping
lateral high knees
butt kicks
side shuffles
forward shuffles
backward shuffles
Ball Drills
Drill 1: kick ups walking
Drill 2: relaxed dribbling
Drill 3: 2 touch dribbling
Drill 4: 1 touch dribbling
Drill 5: touch to sole drag
Extra round of kick ups to finish
Dynamic Stretches (stretching on the move)
Drill 6: lunge to hamstring stretch
Drill 7: knee hugs to forwards lunge (reach overhead)
Drill 8: side lunge both sides to forwards fold
Drill 9: lawn bowls
Drill 10: Skipping
Resistance Band
Drill 11: crab crawl
Drill 12: open gate (On the spot)
Drill 13: forwards walk/shuffle
Drill 14: backwards Walk/shuffle
Drill 15: knee drives (on the spot)
Core and Upper Body (repeat this 3 times)
plank - reaching opposite sides
Up-dog to down-dog
crunches
knee twists - laying on back, knees fall to sides
Push Ups
Static stretches to finish
Step 9: Keeping Loose ➜ Your body will start to cease from yesterdays game, despite all the efforts up to now to prevent it. Keeping moving with a neighbourhood walk or a light bike ride is a great way to combat the tightness
Step 10: Refuel the Body ➜ Breakfast, lunch & dinner should involve a balance of healthy fats, carbs & protein (protein doesn't have to be meat). I meals consisted of..
Morning snack: Banana & Almonds
Breakfast: Avocado on toast, with a drizzle of olive oil
Lunch: Roasted vegetables, a garden salad & a dollop of hummus
Afternoon snack: Protein smoothie
Dinner: Homemade quiche & salad - Pasta would also be a great option ahead of tomorrows training
Step 11: Deep Stretch/Yoga ➜ Preparing the body for bed is a great way to enjoy a deep and restful sleep. My go to in the evening is either a restorative or yin yoga class. Both of which hold stretches for long periods, perfect for getting deep into the muscles. 20-30 minutes
Step 12: Early Night ➜ To top off the day of recovery, and to ensure we get the most out of it, we wrap it up with an early night of deep & restful sleep. Ensuring the room is dark, stay off devices 30-45 minutes before nodding off for the best sleep routine
As many steps as it might seem, it's can be very manageable if you prioritise the basics; Keep moving, hydrate throughout, stretch when you can, eat 3-4 healthy-ish meals, & sleep for 7+ hours or what ever you need to feel rested.
Thank you for being here. If there is anything I missed, feel free to comment below
Much love,
Tony
#Recovery #FootballTraining #footballfolk
Chapters:
00:00 Post Game
00:46 Cool Down
01:59 Cold to Hot Cycles
02:24 Fuel the Body & Sleep
03:06 Ease into the Day
03:23 Foam Roller Routine
03:45 Static Stretching
04:14 Dynamic Stretching
04:43 Full Recovery Session
06:50 New Boots (Thanks David!)
07:34 Organising my workday
08:36 Keeping Loose
09:03 Refuel the Body
09:20 Deep Stretch
09:41 Recovery Sleep