During swim workouts, especially when preparing for a competition, you put yourself through periods of rigorous activity. And when the hard work ends, you feel the toll it’s taken on your body. Naturally, you’ll want to get back in the water as soon as possible. To recover after swim sets the quickest, you need a good recovery routine.

Cooldown Times

Experts agree that the best way to begin counteracting this buildup of lactic acid is to cool down right after you finish. This is how to make muscles recover faster. During cooldown, you work your body at a level high enough to encourage metabolite removal. At the same time, you avoid working hard enough to accumulate more metabolites.

The amount of time needed to cool down after swim sets depends on the distances you swim. As a rule, sprinters accumulate more muscle metabolites than distance swimmers. This means that sprinters will need to spend more time cooling their bodies down. The experts at USA Swimming recommend a 25-minute process for sprinters. In contrast, distance swimmers will only need 10 to 15 minutes.

Wondering how to recover after a swim meet? Go for a very light swim the day after! While this might not sound like fun, it will help you remove more muscle metabolites from your system.

Physical Condition

If you’re in top physical condition, you may find it relatively easy to recover. That’s because your body works at a high level of efficiency both during and after swim sets and competitions. In contrast, if you’re not as fit, you might want to devote more time to your recovery. That way, you’ll stay within your capabilities and increases the odds that you enjoy your time in the water.

Experience Level

Experienced swimmers are often accustomed to competitive swimming on a regular basis. Among other things, this means that they’ll have an easier time optimizing their recovery times. If you don’t swim a lot, you probably need to adopt a different strategy, like giving yourself more time to recuperate. This will help avoid problems like swimmer’s shoulder.

Age

As you age, your body will undergo changes that may affect the way you approach swimming. That includes the amount of time it takes for you to recover. This is especially true if you have health problems that affect your lungs, heart or skeletal system. For sound advice on how to proceed, talk to your doctor and a seasoned swim instructor. Together, these two professionals can help you create an effective recovery schedule.

Ask Your Local Swimming Experts at Blue Buoy

Want to know more about the amount of recovery time needed after swim meets? Just give us a call! We’ll help you devise a plan that works best for you. As always, consult your doctor before beginning any new physical activities.