Book Review: Fitness Series--Good to Go

Book Review--Fitness Series 

Good to Go

What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery

Author: Christie Aschwanden

Audio version read by: Allyson Ryan

As an avid CrossFitter of two years now, I have learned new meanings of the words:

strength

flexibility (or lack thereof)

endurance

fatigue

soreness

Did I mention soreness?  Ohmygoodness!  I may be pushing back the boundaries of my weakness but it can come at a price.  Usually a lot of groans, extra stretching, foam rolling, and audible monologue about "why do I do this to myself?"  But I'm back at it the next day, working harder than ever!

But there are limits. 

Even the most conditioned athletes in the world have to take the time to let their body rest.  Christie Ashwanden takes both a personal and analytical look at the concept of recovery and how it benefits all of us.

How many of these recovery options have you tried? Ice, RICE, heat, Epsom salts, warm bath, naps, stretching, yoga, crying...  I have tried them all, even cryotherapy!

Cryotherapy was definitely invigorating!

Ms. Ashwanden delves into cryotherapy and icing along with a whole host of other common recovery techniques. From massage and meditation to ice baths and compression pants.  Foam rolling and percussion massagers to active recovery runs and beer, the range of options is as wide as the individuality in athletes.  What I appreciated most was that the author delved into the scientific authenticity of each recovery method while calling attention to the difficulty of quantifying what is essentially an individual response to stimuli.  I was intrigued enough to take the plunge in the cold tank so I could make my own decision about how it impacted my own recovery and it opened up questions and possibilities for me to try.

This is worth a read to offer you insights into pop culture cures, general physiological explanations, the dangers of trusting studies without looking into the statistical validity of them, and the overall importance recovery has, no matter how it looks for you.