Let's Talk Recovery with HER Coach, Bec Wilcock

You know we’re all about HER training. A BIG part of training effectively is taking the time to recover. So we pivoted to highlight HER Recovery.

Coach Bec is an ultimate athlete, coach, mom and entrepreneur. With a lifestyle that moves as quickly as she does, we caught up with her to ask about her best recovery secrets. You know, the ones that keep Bec in tip-top shape and always ready for the next move. 

So, Coach Bec, how important is it for HER to recover?

How well I rest and recover is just as important as how far and hard I run. We often forget that working out adds physical stress to our bodies - which creates improvements. However, the changes in our bodies need time to repair themselves in order to gain the most improvement.

What can you tell us about your personal recovery best practices?

Today, I want to share my four secrets to recovery. Including:

• Sleep 

• Mobility

• Tools 

• Fuel

Sleep? Seems pretty self explanatory. With everything going on, I am sure some of HER followers have found it quite difficult to relax even at the end of their day. What kind of tips can you offer?

Find a sleep recovery ritual, something that is a switch to the body that tells it to rest! I have a great night time routine that I’ve perfected over the years to ensure I switch off; eat dinner early, have a hot bath with epsom salt, read a book for 20 minutes, meditate for 5 and fall asleep. This works every night!

Oooh that does sound relaxing. I’m definitely going to give that bath a shot. But what about mobility? It is no secret that whenever you design HER fitness programs, you are sure to include a mobility training session or two.

We all want the ability to move freely and easily. In order to do this, we need to address stress and fatigue as part of our recovery. Focusing on mobility allows you to train harder, recover faster, and perform better. 

My go to moves pre-run are: 

• World’s greatest stretch

• Hamstring to hip flexor stretch

• Quad flicks

So, you work with other awesome brands like Hyperice, Ladder Sport and Nike. What tools have you found particularly effective for your recovery?

My three favorite go to tools are the Hypervolt, HER lacrosse ball (coming soon) and the Vyper 2.0.

Using the Vyper to foam roll, using your body weight, will allow you to massage some of those trouble spots, release myofascial tissue, break up trigger points, and soothe tight fascia. It also helps to stimulate blood flow to the soft tissues. If you foam roll on the Vyper before a strenuous workout or run, you can stretch the tendons, ligaments, and muscles.

Using HER lacrosse ball helps me to release my feet and hips. She’s small but mighty for all my “hot spots”!

The Hypervolt is the best traveling companion in the world! I take this bad boy everywhere with me. Using the hypervolt pre and post run helps accelerate your warm up by increasing circulation and aids in recovery by decreasing muscle soreness.

Wow. Those tools sound amazing! I’d like to try out that Vyper 2.0. Sounds like just what I need to alleviate some training soreness. Aside from tools, how do you fuel up your recovery?

This is critical to success - fuel your body to optimize your performance. My motto is “food is fuel”, if we don’t fuel our body correctly we will never peak in performance and/or recover fully.

Here are some tips to help you:

• Write a food diary and calculate your food intake. Let’s make sure that you’re never at a deficit (extremely common in the running world)

• Cook more! I have certain pre and post training meals that I love. Having easy access to these snacks and meals by cooking them helps keep the fridge stocked and your belly satisfied.

Hey! Thanks Coach for sharing your recovery tips with us! They’ll definitely help when planning for HER own recovery.

Remember, recovery is just as important as working out. It is a MAJOR component in your training and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Always allow your body to rest and recover effectively so you don’t over exhaust yourself. This could lead to preventable pain and even injury. 

Want to share some of your own recovery secrets with HER? Tag us on Instagram @here_we_run and @becwilcock and tell us about your post training routines. 

HER xx