Post-Rucking Recovery Guide: How to Reduce Soreness, Speed Up Healing, and Get Back to Rucking Faster

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One of the surefire ways to feel maximum soreness

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after rucking is to push yourself really, really,

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really hard and then completely stop. Sit down,

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don't stretch, watch TV or something. Do the

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opposite of that. Keep moving, turn your cool

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down, and then stretch right after your cool

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down. Welcome to the Rucker’s Edge podcast, a

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show all about rucking that is designed to help

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you develop a rucking routine, lose weight, and

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ultimately gain your strength and energy back.

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Whether you're an office worker with lower back

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pain, a fitness first timer, or a new parent

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trying to get back to your pre-kids weight,

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this is the show for you. My name is Spencer.

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Thanks for tuning in. Today we're talking about

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recovering from your ruck, including some ways

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to expedite the recovery process so you can get

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back out there and keep pursuing your fitness

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goals. We'll go over what to expect after you

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ruck. Spoiler alert, soreness. You're going to

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be sore. But don't worry, we're going to explain

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how to shorten that length of time you're going

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to be sore. We'll also be discussing why recovery

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is important for ruckers and the number one thing

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that you can do to help with your recovery. But

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first, this is the first time I'm in the studio

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post -launch. And I want to sincerely thank each

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and every one of you that listened in, followed,

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rated, and left a review or commented. I sincerely

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appreciate you taking the time to listen. There

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were and are a million things that you could

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be doing, and you're choosing to spend some time

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with me. I am grateful for that. Thank you very

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much. Podcast production is not easy. It takes

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time, research, creativity. time, a lot of effort.

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Did I say time? But seeing everyone's reaction

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to the launch made it all worth it. And a special

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thanks to my wife for her sacrifices as I pursue

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my podcasting goals. Thank you. All right, so

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let's go to the meat of this thing. Let's talk

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about what our body goes through. Now is a good

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time to remind you that I'm not a doctor and

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the content presented here is for informational

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and entertainment purposes only. Always check

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with your health care provider before you make

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any health or lifestyle changes. When you're

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rucking, let's think about what your body is

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going through. You're using energy. You're sweating.

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You're trying to keep your body temperature regulated

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because of the stress that your body is under.

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You're tired. You're starting to get sore. You're

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thirsty. Some joints and muscles might start

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to get inflamed. You might be having some aches

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and pains. And the next day, like we mentioned

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earlier, you're going to be sore. We like it

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because it means our body is going to be... getting

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stronger, but we hate it because the soreness

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will linger for some time. You'll almost certainly

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feel it the worst after your first ruck. And

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then every time that you increase the weight

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as you progress. But as long as you're using

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proper form, it means you're getting a good workout

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and you're building muscle. Soreness could also

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be caused by bad form. But for the purpose of

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this episode, we're going to be assuming that

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your form is correct. I mentioned in a previous

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episode what proper rucking form looks like.

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So if you don't remember or if you're unfamiliar,

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I suggest you check out episode four. But what

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is soreness? From growing up, playing baseball,

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running track, and cross country, all of my coaches

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told me the same thing. They said that soreness

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was caused by a buildup of lactic acid in our

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muscles. But recently, in an annual physical

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with my doctor, She was explaining that that's

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not necessarily true. Shout out to Dr. Raj. You're

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great. Thanks for all the information you've

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been providing to me over the years. She jumped

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into talking about the difference between aerobic

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and anaerobic exercises and metabolic processes.

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She described ATP, began reciting the Krebs cycle,

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and described the presence of lactic acid in

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our muscles, but I immediately checked out. I

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memorized the Krebs cycle for a test in college

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and forgot it immediately afterwards. I was just

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like, give me the cliff notes, doc. I don't have the

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energy to consume all this information. I asked

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her to break it down to me in layman terms, and

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she said, our muscle bands... are being broken

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down during the strenuous workout. She called

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it muscle shred, where there are little tears

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in our muscles. And this means that we're pushing

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ourselves, the muscles are working like they're

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supposed to, and it paves the way for newer,

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stronger muscles as those tears are repaired.

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And the sore feeling is from both the muscle

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shred and the inflammation during the healing

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process. And my doc sent me an article summarizing

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all this. I'll attach it to the show notes. It's

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pretty informative. And I thought that was pretty

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surprising because it... was not what I was taught

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initially growing up. Now, it's okay to feel

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sore, but we should be able to distinguish the

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difference between what feels sore and a sharp

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pain. If you have a sharp pain, something could

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be wrong. So take a little bit longer to recover

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and consider maybe going to get it checked out

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by your healthcare provider. Now in terms of

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where you're going to feel the soreness, you're

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likely going to feel it in the muscles that you're

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using the most. So your shoulders, back muscles,

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hip flexors, glutes, thighs, calves, everything

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that you're going to be using to carry the weight

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and travel long distance. The soreness usually

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starts the next day. That's why they call it

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delayed onset muscle soreness. And it could last

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for a few days, but there are things that we

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can do to help our bodies recover faster and

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make the soreness feeling go away faster. We'll

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cover things we can do over certain time frames,

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starting with what you can do to prep your body

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before your ruck and what we should be doing

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immediately after your ruck. Let's start with

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before your ruck. What can you be doing as a

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pre -recovery routine? And you might be asking,

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wait, did you say before I ruck? Yeah, yeah,

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recovery starts before you ruck, like days, weeks,

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months before you ruck. There are two main items

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associated with... pre -rec recovery preparations,

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and they are preconditioning your muscles and

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hydration. For preconditioning your muscles,

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I spoke a little bit about this in a previous

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episode, but start a workout routine before you

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even start rucking. It also kind of goes hand

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in hand with the guidance of ramping up slowly.

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You gradually work the new muscle groups, develop

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the muscles so that you build a foundation to

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build on through your rucking. I found this interesting.

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I saw a study it's from 2019 researchers from

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brazil i think it was they concluded that isometric

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holes so planks wall sits calf raise holes etc

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done one to two days in advance can significantly

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reduce soreness now i haven't done that i think

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i might try it out and see how that works but

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i thought that was pretty cool And the other

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item for pre -recovery prep is a hydration strategy.

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Being hydrated helps tremendously. Helps you

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achieve maximum effort for your performance,

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regulates your body temperature, and helps prevent

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tightness, strains, and cramps. Now the pre -hydration

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plan recommendation is five to seven milliliters

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per kilograms of body weight at least four hours

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before the workout on top of your normal eating

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and hydration habits. A paper published back

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in 2007 by the ACSM or the American College of

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Sports Medicine recommends that we consume five

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to seven milliliters per kilogram of body weight

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at least four hours before the workout on top

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of our normal eating and hydration habits. And

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the NATA or NATA, not exactly sure how you pronounce

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that, but the National Athletic Trainers Association

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stated in their position statement on fluid replacement

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for athletes that there should be about 17 to

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20 ounces. consumed two to three hours before

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your workout. And then an additional seven to

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10 ounces, 20 minutes before the workout. And

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then if you are sweating heavily or it's insanely

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hot, like it is now here in the summer in Louisiana,

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add electrolytes before and during your workout

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for your hydration. It will definitely make a

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difference. But my doctor advised not to drink

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too much electrolytes as it can cause kidney

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damage. And then during the workout itself, you

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want to maintain fluid replacement. So I mentioned

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in previous episodes the convenience of having

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a hydration bladder tucked away in the back.

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Definitely recommend that. All right, so that

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was what you can do before your workout. And

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towards the tail end there, I talked about what

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you can do during the workout. But let's talk

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about immediately after your RUC. What can we

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do to help expedite our recovery process? So

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there are five items that you can do after your

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RUC to help speed your recovery process up. doing

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a proper cool down, followed by stretching, more

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hydration, potentially a recovery drink, and

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icing your problem areas. Let's start with the

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cool down. You don't want to just stop dead in

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your tracks after your workout and sit down.

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You want to kind of ease your body back into

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your heart resting rate. Keep moving for a while.

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When I was running six miles a day back in my

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sprightly years, we would do a one mile warm

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up and a one mile cool down. And in rucking,

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I've been doing... Something similar. I've been

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doing a five -minute warm -up and a five -minute

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cool -down. It's been working for me. And right

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after my cool -down, I immediately go into stretching.

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I stretch right away. During previous episodes,

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we talked about the difference between dynamic

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and static stretching. Post -ruck, you want to

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do static stretches. I focus on a few areas.

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It takes about 14 minutes to stretch all the

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different muscle groups, but I'll stretch my

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calves, hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes, quads,

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back. and shoulders. Hold each one for about

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30 seconds. So targeting my calves about a minute,

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hamstring a minute, and so on. One of the surefire

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ways to feel maximum soreness after a workout

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is to push yourself really, really, really hard

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and then completely stop. Sit down, don't stretch,

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watch TV or something. Do the opposite of that.

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Keep moving during your cool down and then stretch

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right after your cool down. The third topic,

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hydration. Keep drinking. You drink beforehand.

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You drink during. You drink water or electrolytes

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afterwards as well. Now, how much should you

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replenish? The American College of Sports Medicine,

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ACSM, we talked about them earlier, and the National

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Athletic Trainers Association, NATA or NATA,

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however you say it, they both have weight -based

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methods for replenishing after a workout. There's

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a few steps, and I'll include this as a blog

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post potentially. Yeah, I'm going to do a blog

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post, and I'll link it in the show notes. But

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essentially, Yeah, it's a procedure. The gist

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of it is you weigh in before and after your ruck,

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you track your fluid intake during your ruck,

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and then you calculate the sweat loss after the

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ruck. And then you drink about 125 to 150 % of

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the amount of sweat lost. You know, I think maybe

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the next ruck that I'll do, I'm going to try

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this out. I'm going to follow this procedure

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and I'll make a YouTube video, which check out

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the YouTube channel. I created it just a couple

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of weeks ago. It's called The Rucker's Edge.

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I'll be adding... Fun little clips here and there,

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sort of episode recaps and other things that

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I just want or like to do. I was always taught

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guidelines on how to know if I need to rehydrate

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or drink more water. And those include, you know,

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the standard eight glasses a day rule. Urine

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color only, like if your urine's yellowish in

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color or dark yellow, which is a really good

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indicator that you're dehydrated. You shouldn't

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rely on those, especially thirst alone. I mean,

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the eight glasses a day rule, that's not individualized.

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There's some varying factors between individuals

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that you might need more than that a day. Urine

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color, again, helpful, but it's not precise.

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Definitely tell you when you really, really,

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really need it, but it won't tell you when you

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need to start replenishing. You probably need

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to start even before you realize that your urine's

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yellow colored or dark colored. And especially

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thirst alone. I mean, you're already mildly dehydrated

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if you're feeling thirsty. So again, you should

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have been drinking before you even get thirsty.

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Touching on electrolyte mix recommendations,

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I have been using a product that we got off of

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Amazon. I think it's called like Fast Light or

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something like that. On the front of the bag,

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it says no sugar, electrolytes, powder in the

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raw. I like it because it has very minimal. sugar,

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which I touched on this in a previous episode.

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I'm trying to limit how much sugar I consume.

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I definitely have better days and worse days.

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Anyway, kind of got sidetracked. But yeah, that's

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what I recommend. I'll put a link in the show

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notes if you're interested in a product like

00:12:37.080 --> 00:12:39.830
that as well. And lastly, while we're talking

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hydration, let's talk diuretics. So coffee, tea,

00:12:43.509 --> 00:12:46.289
other diuretics. My doctor told me to drink two

00:12:46.289 --> 00:12:49.049
cups of water for every mug of coffee I drink,

00:12:49.090 --> 00:12:51.909
and I love coffee. I have two cups a day in the

00:12:51.909 --> 00:12:57.850
morning and one after lunch. My office mate made

00:12:57.850 --> 00:13:00.610
a joke the other day about how loud my coffee

00:13:00.610 --> 00:13:02.909
maker is. Sorry, dude. I'll look into getting

00:13:02.909 --> 00:13:05.490
a new one. But that means because I consume so

00:13:05.490 --> 00:13:07.370
much coffee, I really have to work my tail off

00:13:07.370 --> 00:13:11.110
to stay properly hydrated. Okay, so that was

00:13:11.110 --> 00:13:14.570
hydration. The next item that we can do after

00:13:14.570 --> 00:13:17.909
we ruck to help with our recovery is consuming

00:13:17.909 --> 00:13:21.330
a recovery drink or a protein shake. I have a

00:13:21.330 --> 00:13:24.590
mix of protein that I like to use. It's a whey

00:13:24.590 --> 00:13:27.789
protein. I'll actually prep it before the ruck

00:13:27.789 --> 00:13:30.129
so when I get back, it's already ready to go

00:13:30.129 --> 00:13:32.230
and it's still cold for me. And I'll actually

00:13:32.230 --> 00:13:35.019
add... a scoop of the electrolyte powder that

00:13:35.019 --> 00:13:39.080
I talked about earlier in that as well mix it

00:13:39.080 --> 00:13:40.779
stick it in the fridge it's ready to go post

00:13:40.779 --> 00:13:43.899
-ruck there are also several options out there

00:13:43.899 --> 00:13:45.720
on the market that you can get it's already mixed

00:13:45.720 --> 00:13:48.019
you don't have to make it yourself it's just

00:13:48.019 --> 00:13:50.779
it's pre -mixed and ready to go now I'll be the

00:13:50.779 --> 00:13:52.960
first to tell you I am not the best person to

00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:56.899
talk to about protein I do know that muscles

00:13:56.899 --> 00:13:59.639
need it to repair all the micro tears during

00:13:59.639 --> 00:14:02.200
the workout and rebuild stronger that's what

00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:05.039
my doctor Raj was talking about when she was

00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:07.820
mentioning muscle shred and I used to question

00:14:07.820 --> 00:14:10.039
this a lot when I started like do I really need

00:14:10.039 --> 00:14:12.320
a protein shake or recovery drink afterwards

00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:16.019
and when talking with my doctor she said you

00:14:16.019 --> 00:14:18.379
need it if your diet needs it for the goal that

00:14:18.379 --> 00:14:20.659
you want to achieve so if you want to bulk up

00:14:20.659 --> 00:14:24.360
if you want to develop your muscles it's generally

00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:27.279
recommended If you don't normally eat that much

00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:29.639
protein, you might want to consume one. If you're

00:14:29.639 --> 00:14:32.279
not eating a protein -rich meal within the next

00:14:32.279 --> 00:14:34.500
couple of hours after your rock, and if your

00:14:34.500 --> 00:14:36.860
goal is to maintain or just develop your muscles

00:14:36.860 --> 00:14:40.539
in general, it's recommended. But, you know,

00:14:40.539 --> 00:14:42.139
obviously before you take any supplements or

00:14:42.139 --> 00:14:44.419
anything like that, I definitely recommend speaking

00:14:44.419 --> 00:14:47.679
with your physicians to see, or maybe more appropriately

00:14:47.679 --> 00:14:50.220
a nutritionist, see what they recommend based

00:14:50.220 --> 00:14:53.899
off the diet that you have. But based on my diet,

00:14:54.460 --> 00:14:57.080
I am supplementing with protein shakes, and I

00:14:57.080 --> 00:14:59.759
do feel like it does help with my recovery afterwards.

00:15:00.759 --> 00:15:02.980
Again, I make my own at the house. Whey protein,

00:15:03.220 --> 00:15:05.679
sugar -free electrolyte mix, and water, and sometimes

00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:07.940
I'll add a little coffee if I'm jumping right

00:15:07.940 --> 00:15:10.840
into dad duty when I get home, and there's leftover

00:15:10.840 --> 00:15:14.620
coffee in the pot from the morning. And anecdotally,

00:15:14.679 --> 00:15:16.840
that's not the only thing I add coffee to. I'll

00:15:16.840 --> 00:15:20.100
add coffee to my gumbo. If I'm being lazy and

00:15:20.100 --> 00:15:22.799
don't cook the roux long enough. Darker. If you're

00:15:22.799 --> 00:15:25.460
unfamiliar with gumbo, it's like a soup or a

00:15:25.460 --> 00:15:29.639
stew. It's a very common dish in Louisiana. And

00:15:29.639 --> 00:15:31.759
to make it, you start with the roux. And the

00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:33.559
darker the roux, the more flavorful the gumbo

00:15:33.559 --> 00:15:36.259
is. But if I just don't have time to sit over

00:15:36.259 --> 00:15:38.759
the stove and... and babysit the roux and stir

00:15:38.759 --> 00:15:41.320
it for a long enough, I'll just end up just throwing

00:15:41.320 --> 00:15:44.279
some coffee in it and making it look like a darker

00:15:44.279 --> 00:15:47.039
color. Anyway, if you are curious about what

00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:51.620
gumbo recipe I use, you can reach out to me at

00:15:51.620 --> 00:15:54.279
theruckersedge .com. There's a way to send me

00:15:54.279 --> 00:15:56.720
an email. Shoot me a message there and I'll respond

00:15:56.720 --> 00:16:00.100
back to you with the recipe that I use. really

00:16:00.100 --> 00:16:02.320
not that difficult to make. It just takes time.

00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:04.000
Like I mentioned with the roux, just got to sit

00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:06.139
and stir it. But if you have coffee on hand,

00:16:06.240 --> 00:16:07.919
you can also achieve a darker roux. Just don't

00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:11.100
tell anybody. I guess it's too late for me. But

00:16:11.100 --> 00:16:13.799
anyway, the next one is for my chronic joint

00:16:13.799 --> 00:16:15.820
pain, ruckers with problem areas. All right.

00:16:15.860 --> 00:16:19.340
So we already talked about cooling down, stretching,

00:16:19.639 --> 00:16:24.399
hydrating, and consuming a recovery drink. The

00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:27.460
last thing that we can do post -ruck to help

00:16:27.460 --> 00:16:30.990
our recovery. Immediately post -rock to help

00:16:30.990 --> 00:16:37.210
our recovery is to ice. Now, my orthopedist relayed

00:16:37.210 --> 00:16:39.830
this information over to me, and he said, ice

00:16:39.830 --> 00:16:43.929
your problem areas ASAP. So I guess doing so

00:16:43.929 --> 00:16:46.149
will reduce the inflammation and speed up the

00:16:46.149 --> 00:16:48.809
recovery process. How quick is ASAP? My doctor

00:16:48.809 --> 00:16:50.970
said within 15 to 30 minutes was his recommendation.

00:16:51.309 --> 00:16:54.230
So I'll do a five -minute cool down. I'll stretch

00:16:54.230 --> 00:16:57.250
for 14 minutes. I'll have my recovery drink.

00:16:59.009 --> 00:17:02.230
immediately jump into the ice bucket. And when

00:17:02.230 --> 00:17:04.829
I say jump into the ice bucket, I mean I'm soaking

00:17:04.829 --> 00:17:08.990
my ankle. I don't get into a giant ice bath.

00:17:09.170 --> 00:17:12.789
My problem area is my right ankle, and so I'll

00:17:12.789 --> 00:17:15.730
just dunk that into a Lowe's bucket full of ice.

00:17:15.950 --> 00:17:17.769
It's actually a really good time to spend with

00:17:17.769 --> 00:17:19.769
my daughter. She loves playing with the ice,

00:17:19.809 --> 00:17:22.549
and her favorite thing is to watch it get...

00:17:22.750 --> 00:17:24.670
tiny and she'll actually kind of get distracted

00:17:24.670 --> 00:17:27.410
sometimes and she'll check in every once in a

00:17:27.410 --> 00:17:29.069
while. She's like, is it tiny ice yet? Is it

00:17:29.069 --> 00:17:31.470
tiny ice yet? I know. It's been fun to play with

00:17:31.470 --> 00:17:34.890
her with that. So I just mentioned I ice my ankle

00:17:34.890 --> 00:17:37.630
in a ice bath, but there's other ways you can

00:17:37.630 --> 00:17:39.529
do it. You can use a cold pack or you can use

00:17:39.529 --> 00:17:43.150
ice wrapped in a towel. It's very important not

00:17:43.150 --> 00:17:45.210
to put the ice directly onto your bare skin.

00:17:45.349 --> 00:17:47.349
You can get a burn that way. And then how long

00:17:47.349 --> 00:17:49.369
should you ice it? My doctor's recommendation

00:17:49.369 --> 00:17:53.369
was 15 to 20 minutes max. Speaking of icing,

00:17:53.549 --> 00:17:58.069
another really good method that I employ post

00:17:58.069 --> 00:18:01.650
-ruck, and this is like the night, right before

00:18:01.650 --> 00:18:03.990
I go to bed, I'll do this on the day of a ruck,

00:18:04.049 --> 00:18:08.549
is I'll use the RICE method. R -I -C -E is an

00:18:08.549 --> 00:18:12.650
acronym for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

00:18:13.289 --> 00:18:16.990
In my experience using the RICE method, the faster

00:18:16.990 --> 00:18:20.130
you do it, the quicker your recovery will likely

00:18:20.130 --> 00:18:23.900
be. Okay, so R, rest. You're basically just going

00:18:23.900 --> 00:18:26.460
to limit your activity. Take it easy. How many

00:18:26.460 --> 00:18:29.819
days before your next rock? You know, just listen

00:18:29.819 --> 00:18:32.059
to your body. Don't rush back out there. If you

00:18:32.059 --> 00:18:36.259
need time off, take time off. I, ice. Ice problem

00:18:36.259 --> 00:18:38.640
areas. Just covered this. Don't exceed 15 to

00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:41.119
20 minutes at a time. Don't put ice or cold packs

00:18:41.119 --> 00:18:44.000
directly onto your skin. Compression. Wrapping

00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:46.319
with an elastic material. I personally use compression

00:18:46.319 --> 00:18:48.599
socks. I love them, and I'll actually go to sleep

00:18:48.599 --> 00:18:50.960
with them. Having them on through the night helps

00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:54.059
me. There are also other products out there like

00:18:54.059 --> 00:18:57.480
muscle compression floss bands or sleeves, other

00:18:57.480 --> 00:18:59.960
things that you can use for other problem areas

00:18:59.960 --> 00:19:02.220
that you might have. And what compression does,

00:19:02.279 --> 00:19:05.019
it promotes blood flow and it limits excess fluid.

00:19:05.099 --> 00:19:08.019
So when you have inflammation, your problem area

00:19:08.019 --> 00:19:11.380
will swell up, but the compression prevents any

00:19:11.380 --> 00:19:13.900
excess fluid from accumulating in that area.

00:19:14.339 --> 00:19:18.619
And E, the end of rice is elevation. Try to get

00:19:18.619 --> 00:19:21.920
your problem area above your heart. That is also

00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:24.460
going to promote draining excess fluid and will

00:19:24.460 --> 00:19:29.859
improve circulation. All right, let's take a

00:19:29.859 --> 00:19:32.599
break here before I go into discussing the most

00:19:32.599 --> 00:19:35.059
critical thing that you can do post -rock to

00:19:35.059 --> 00:19:38.119
help with your recovery phase. To say once again,

00:19:38.220 --> 00:19:40.079
thanks for listening. Really appreciate y 'all

00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:42.440
taking the time to tune into the brand new podcast.

00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:45.140
If you found this episode helpful or interesting

00:19:45.140 --> 00:19:47.579
so far, please click the follow button in the

00:19:47.579 --> 00:19:49.539
podcast player you're using so you're notified

00:19:49.539 --> 00:19:51.880
of the new episodes. Also, if you know someone

00:19:51.880 --> 00:19:53.980
thinking about starting rucking or would benefit

00:19:53.980 --> 00:19:56.140
from rucking, please share this episode with

00:19:56.140 --> 00:19:57.720
them. It might just give them the motivation

00:19:57.720 --> 00:19:59.940
to start or keep pursuing their rucking goals.

00:20:00.180 --> 00:20:03.059
My goal of this podcast is to introduce rucking

00:20:03.059 --> 00:20:04.960
to people that would benefit from this lower

00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:07.900
impact endurance workout. out so following and

00:20:07.900 --> 00:20:09.799
sharing the podcast will help me out tremendously

00:20:09.799 --> 00:20:13.640
thanks so much all right back to it the most

00:20:13.640 --> 00:20:15.819
critical thing to do post -rock to help with

00:20:15.819 --> 00:20:19.660
your recovery in my opinion is sleep i think

00:20:19.660 --> 00:20:22.880
it's the absolute most important factor it's

00:20:22.880 --> 00:20:27.109
a it's the best opportunity to gain our energy

00:20:27.109 --> 00:20:29.910
back and reduce inflammation, any aches, pains

00:20:29.910 --> 00:20:32.750
in our joints, soreness in your muscles. Our

00:20:32.750 --> 00:20:35.789
body will release hormones like HGH when sleeping,

00:20:35.890 --> 00:20:38.230
which will help repair all of our muscles. And

00:20:38.230 --> 00:20:40.430
I can do all the other things I cover in this

00:20:40.430 --> 00:20:42.630
episode, but if I don't get good quality sleep

00:20:42.630 --> 00:20:45.269
post -ruck, my recovery feels like it gets extended

00:20:45.269 --> 00:20:49.230
and will last days. I actually get the best sleep,

00:20:49.289 --> 00:20:52.130
I feel, the night after a long ruck. Since I

00:20:52.130 --> 00:20:54.980
wear a garment to track my sleep, I can go back

00:20:54.980 --> 00:20:57.099
in my sleep logs and point out the days that

00:20:57.099 --> 00:20:59.519
I rocked based off of how well my sleep was that

00:20:59.519 --> 00:21:02.779
night. The best tip I can give you to help with

00:21:02.779 --> 00:21:05.279
your sleep is to max out your sleep hygiene.

00:21:05.920 --> 00:21:07.579
There's a whole litany of things that you can

00:21:07.579 --> 00:21:09.779
do to maximize your sleep, but these are the

00:21:09.779 --> 00:21:11.920
things that I've had success with and I wanted

00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:14.720
to pass them on. First one, implementing a policy

00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:17.880
of no screens 30 to 60 minutes before bed. There's

00:21:17.880 --> 00:21:20.000
a lot of studies talking about blasting your

00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:22.079
face with blue light before bed and how it's

00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:24.940
detrimental to your sleep. Also, pretty good

00:21:24.940 --> 00:21:27.579
idea not to have TV in the bedroom. We've removed

00:21:27.579 --> 00:21:30.420
our TV from the bedroom several years now. It's

00:21:30.420 --> 00:21:32.359
been like, I don't know, at least five years

00:21:32.359 --> 00:21:34.880
or so. It's definitely improved my sleep quality.

00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:36.880
And then in terms of a sleep environment, you

00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:39.039
want to keep it cool, quiet, and dark. And the

00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:42.119
best thing is clean sheets. Oh man, when one

00:21:42.119 --> 00:21:45.319
of my long rucks matches up with laundry day,

00:21:45.460 --> 00:21:49.740
I get the best sleep ever. And then the last

00:21:49.740 --> 00:21:53.880
one, I actually, I haven't had to try this yet,

00:21:53.900 --> 00:21:55.980
but I did learn it while I was prepping for this

00:21:55.980 --> 00:21:59.200
episode is if you're having a hard time falling

00:21:59.200 --> 00:22:01.759
asleep, there's been a recommendation to do a

00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:03.700
brain dump. So if your brain won't shut up and

00:22:03.700 --> 00:22:06.380
you're just tossing and turning because you have

00:22:06.380 --> 00:22:08.599
something on your mind that if you write out

00:22:08.599 --> 00:22:10.599
all your to do's or what you're worrying about

00:22:10.599 --> 00:22:13.900
on a notepad before bed, it'll help clear your

00:22:13.900 --> 00:22:17.960
mental clutter. Helps reduce sleep anxiety. So

00:22:17.960 --> 00:22:19.599
I think maybe the next time I'm tossing and turning,

00:22:19.640 --> 00:22:23.259
I'll just whip out a pen and pad and just scribble

00:22:23.259 --> 00:22:27.460
away. Okay, so we talked about pre -ruck recovery

00:22:27.460 --> 00:22:32.039
tips, post -ruck recovery tips. Let's talk advanced

00:22:32.039 --> 00:22:35.000
recovery techniques. And I say advanced because,

00:22:35.099 --> 00:22:36.480
I don't know, it's not really advanced, but it's

00:22:36.480 --> 00:22:38.339
just like other things that you can do to help

00:22:38.339 --> 00:22:41.619
expedite the recovery process. This first one,

00:22:41.740 --> 00:22:45.500
massage therapy, highly recommend. using a massage

00:22:45.500 --> 00:22:48.079
gun or a Theragun. The recommendation to do this

00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:51.299
is while your muscles are still warm, so relatively

00:22:51.299 --> 00:22:54.779
soon after your ruck, generally within the first

00:22:54.779 --> 00:22:59.039
hour. Similarly to using a Theragun or a massage

00:22:59.039 --> 00:23:01.140
gun, a foam roller will do the trick. I actually

00:23:01.140 --> 00:23:02.900
just started doing this. I started rolling out

00:23:02.900 --> 00:23:05.440
my calves post -ruck. I have found that it definitely

00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:08.859
helps. A DIY option if you don't have a foam

00:23:08.859 --> 00:23:10.759
roller is you could whip out a water bottle and

00:23:10.759 --> 00:23:13.599
roll your calves, quads, hamstring, glutes. A

00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:16.319
2015 study indicated you want to do it immediately

00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:19.740
after an intense workout and, again, 24 hours

00:23:19.740 --> 00:23:23.759
afterwards. I talked to my doctor, Dr. Raj, about

00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:27.539
rolling, and she said it's important to roll

00:23:27.539 --> 00:23:30.519
lengthways with your muscle, and you want to

00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:33.559
roll the muscle groups you use during your workout

00:23:33.559 --> 00:23:37.200
as well as the ones above and below the muscle

00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:40.259
groups. Try to roll them for about a minute.

00:23:40.809 --> 00:23:42.829
was the recommendation, making sure not to exceed

00:23:42.829 --> 00:23:45.450
two minutes on a particular muscle group. And

00:23:45.450 --> 00:23:49.549
then most critical was rolling through the entire

00:23:49.549 --> 00:23:52.950
muscle. So not just pinpointing a portion of

00:23:52.950 --> 00:23:55.829
it, but going end to end. And there's also an

00:23:55.829 --> 00:23:57.849
article on this, and I'll include that in the

00:23:57.849 --> 00:24:00.950
show notes. Other massage items you could use

00:24:00.950 --> 00:24:04.829
include a lacrosse or a golf ball or a foot massager.

00:24:05.250 --> 00:24:10.470
Another advanced technique is yoga. I am... Definitely

00:24:10.470 --> 00:24:13.910
not the most limber person that I know. I am

00:24:13.910 --> 00:24:18.349
notoriously stiff. But if you're into yoga, there

00:24:18.349 --> 00:24:22.190
are four entry -level yoga poses that were recommended

00:24:22.190 --> 00:24:24.970
to me from a friend that is a certified yoga

00:24:24.970 --> 00:24:28.750
instructor. Their recommendation was child's

00:24:28.750 --> 00:24:34.109
pose, sphinx pose, legs up the wall, and cat

00:24:34.109 --> 00:24:37.509
-cow. All right, now let's talk foot care specifics.

00:24:38.619 --> 00:24:41.440
Starting with blister care. Consult with your

00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:44.119
doctor on this one too, but I'll say moleskin

00:24:44.119 --> 00:24:46.539
is your friend here. Apply moleskin over your

00:24:46.539 --> 00:24:49.980
blisters, and I wouldn't pop them unless they're

00:24:49.980 --> 00:24:52.940
large, painful, and likely to pop anyway. If

00:24:52.940 --> 00:24:55.319
they're on the bottom of your feet, apply a ring

00:24:55.319 --> 00:24:57.980
-shaped piece of moleskin on them. That way,

00:24:58.079 --> 00:25:00.720
your body weight won't pop them. If they do pop,

00:25:00.819 --> 00:25:03.240
keep them clean. Apply an antiseptic ointment

00:25:03.240 --> 00:25:06.819
and a loose bandage, and then monitor for signs

00:25:06.819 --> 00:25:09.650
of infection. The Mayo Clinic provides great

00:25:09.650 --> 00:25:12.650
info on blister management. And again, I'll provide

00:25:12.650 --> 00:25:16.089
a link in the show notes. Another awesome, actually,

00:25:16.130 --> 00:25:19.730
this is my favorite part. Next to sleep, this

00:25:19.730 --> 00:25:23.269
is my favorite post -ruck routine activity is

00:25:23.269 --> 00:25:26.849
slipping into my recovery slides. I have a pair

00:25:26.849 --> 00:25:30.549
of these UFO slides my rheumatologist recommended.

00:25:30.910 --> 00:25:33.670
They are so comfortable. I know some people advocate.

00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:36.720
minimalist barefoot walking to toughen your feet

00:25:36.720 --> 00:25:39.539
up, man, that is not an option for me. Again,

00:25:39.880 --> 00:25:42.420
my doctor recommended them to me. He said to

00:25:42.420 --> 00:25:44.980
use them after any strenuous activity. Plus,

00:25:45.019 --> 00:25:46.799
after a rock, I mean, I just want to walk in

00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:50.440
the clouds, man. These Ufos recovery slides certainly

00:25:50.440 --> 00:25:53.700
feel like it. They're cushioned while still providing

00:25:53.700 --> 00:25:57.460
adequate arch support. And these recovery slides,

00:25:57.720 --> 00:26:00.059
there's more cushioning than the average footwear,

00:26:00.119 --> 00:26:02.000
like the average slide, like an Adidas slide

00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:04.240
or something like that. They reduce the stress

00:26:04.240 --> 00:26:06.619
on my feet, legs, and joints. It feels amazing.

00:26:07.259 --> 00:26:09.259
I'll include a link in the show notes for those

00:26:09.259 --> 00:26:12.759
UFA slides if you're curious. Now, I guess this

00:26:12.759 --> 00:26:17.000
being a recovery episode, I should mention specific

00:26:17.000 --> 00:26:20.680
tech for recovery, specifically tracker apps

00:26:20.680 --> 00:26:24.000
or wearables. There are products out there. I

00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:25.900
mean, even like Apple Watches and Garmin's can

00:26:25.900 --> 00:26:27.859
help provide insight into your recovery, but

00:26:27.859 --> 00:26:32.240
I know Whoop is the premier recovery wearable,

00:26:32.299 --> 00:26:34.809
I suppose. And basically you fill in your age

00:26:34.809 --> 00:26:37.450
and your metrics and it measures strain, recovery,

00:26:37.650 --> 00:26:40.470
sleep, all these different variables. It looks

00:26:40.470 --> 00:26:42.769
at your physical activity log, heart rate, sleep

00:26:42.769 --> 00:26:45.890
tracking, and it calculates an HRV, which is

00:26:45.890 --> 00:26:48.970
your heart rate variability. And I honestly don't

00:26:48.970 --> 00:26:50.990
know too much about heart rate variability. I

00:26:50.990 --> 00:26:53.509
don't have a whoop. I use Garmin and I don't

00:26:53.509 --> 00:26:57.509
know how accurate Garmin's body battery function

00:26:57.509 --> 00:27:00.809
is. I think it's somewhat accurate because if

00:27:00.809 --> 00:27:03.589
it says I'm dipping below 30%, I feel like I

00:27:03.589 --> 00:27:07.210
am dragging. But I do know that WHOOP is supposed

00:27:07.210 --> 00:27:11.109
to be a more accurate device in measuring HRV.

00:27:11.509 --> 00:27:14.450
And if you have a high HRV, it means you're adaptable

00:27:14.450 --> 00:27:18.430
and ready to go. But if you have a low HRV, maybe

00:27:18.430 --> 00:27:20.549
consider chilling and recovering for a little

00:27:20.549 --> 00:27:23.029
bit longer before jumping into your next ruck.

00:27:23.819 --> 00:27:25.579
All right, finally, I wanted to give everyone

00:27:25.579 --> 00:27:29.079
a heads up on my personal recovery routine that

00:27:29.079 --> 00:27:31.759
works for me. Everyone's different. So what works

00:27:31.759 --> 00:27:34.799
for me may not work for you. But after tweaking

00:27:34.799 --> 00:27:37.480
it for the past few months, I feel like I'm pretty

00:27:37.480 --> 00:27:38.859
comfortable with it and it's working for me.

00:27:39.099 --> 00:27:41.119
Like I mentioned before, immediately after a

00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:43.339
ruck, I will cool down. I'll throw my rucksack

00:27:43.339 --> 00:27:45.519
down in the grass. I'll save my ruck data on

00:27:45.519 --> 00:27:47.880
my watch. I'll grab a water and then I'll start

00:27:47.880 --> 00:27:50.240
stretching and doing a little bit of foam rolling.

00:27:50.440 --> 00:27:54.190
After that, I'll jump into. Icing my problem

00:27:54.190 --> 00:27:56.670
areas while I'm drinking my recovery drink and

00:27:56.670 --> 00:27:59.109
playing with my kids. And then after that, I'll

00:27:59.109 --> 00:28:02.210
pop on my compression socks and recovery slides.

00:28:02.470 --> 00:28:05.609
And then later that night, I'll do the rice method.

00:28:05.789 --> 00:28:10.029
Rest, ice, compression, elevate. And then sleep.

00:28:10.349 --> 00:28:12.390
I actually go to bed a little earlier than usual

00:28:12.390 --> 00:28:14.329
on days that are rough. I'm just ready for it.

00:28:14.410 --> 00:28:17.170
I actually can't wait to jump in bed. And then

00:28:17.170 --> 00:28:22.140
the next day, I'll walk. I'll park. further than

00:28:22.140 --> 00:28:25.599
I would normally park at work and while running

00:28:25.599 --> 00:28:29.599
errands. And using these muscles sort of expedite

00:28:29.599 --> 00:28:32.180
the recovery process for me. And then later that

00:28:32.180 --> 00:28:35.920
next day, I'll foam roll again, then review my

00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:38.599
rucking progress to remind me exactly how far

00:28:38.599 --> 00:28:41.900
I've come since starting. Ultimately, listen

00:28:41.900 --> 00:28:44.319
to your body and adjust your recovery plan accordingly.

00:28:44.559 --> 00:28:48.099
Only you know your limits. you're the one making

00:28:48.099 --> 00:28:50.160
the decision that your body is in fact ready

00:28:50.160 --> 00:28:52.960
for another ruck. It could be a day. It could

00:28:52.960 --> 00:28:55.640
be a week. The tips I provided in this episode

00:28:55.640 --> 00:28:57.779
will help you recover, but only you know when

00:28:57.779 --> 00:28:59.799
you've recovered enough to get back out there.

00:29:00.420 --> 00:29:02.619
For me, it was a week just starting out. It took

00:29:02.619 --> 00:29:07.240
a while, but now it's a day or two. Okay, there

00:29:07.240 --> 00:29:09.099
you have it. So now you know how to recover quicker

00:29:09.099 --> 00:29:11.940
so that you can stay on track towards achieving

00:29:11.940 --> 00:29:14.690
your rucking goal. Speaking of tracking, in next

00:29:14.690 --> 00:29:16.650
week's episode, we'll discuss the importance

00:29:16.650 --> 00:29:18.950
of tracking our rucks and what we can do with

00:29:18.950 --> 00:29:22.250
that data that we collect. In the meantime, if

00:29:22.250 --> 00:29:24.410
you haven't already, please follow the show and

00:29:24.410 --> 00:29:26.509
share this episode with a friend that might find

00:29:26.509 --> 00:29:28.869
it helpful. And as always, links to all the studies

00:29:28.869 --> 00:29:30.990
and products mentioned in this episode are provided

00:29:30.990 --> 00:29:33.970
in the show notes. Once again, my name is Spencer.

00:29:34.069 --> 00:29:35.869
Thank you so much for listening to this week's

00:29:35.869 --> 00:29:52.119
episode of The Rucker's Edge. and anecdotally

00:29:52.119 --> 00:29:58.839
and anecdotally and anecdotally anecdote is that

00:29:58.839 --> 00:30:02.000
a word well it is now and anecdotally i feel

00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:04.700
like that's not a word all right i need to google

00:30:04.700 --> 00:30:04.920
this