5 tips for recovery after training

Jiu jitsu is an intense sport. It takes a while after a training session to get back into relaxation mode. A question we often receive is:

“How can I relax after a heavy training session?”

Here are 5 tips that can help you:

1. Breathing

Focus on your breathing after training. Find a spot for yourself and focus on your breathing for 5 minutes. There are various techniques for this, but box breathing (4s in, 4s hold, 4s out, 4s hold, repeat) and 7s in, 7s out are both good methods. You can ‘read ’Breathe’ by James Nestor if you want to learn more about this.

2. Stretching

You can combine breathing with some stretches. This not only makes you more flexible (and thus harder to pass), but also helps you relax.

3. Caffeine

Then a step back in time: make sure you don’t take caffeine too late. It’s tempting to have a coffee just before training, but that’s not very beneficial for your sleep. We recommend not taking caffeine after 2:00 PM It might be a bit harder to get started, but once you’re warmed up, you won’t notice that you haven’t had coffee.

4. Read a book

When you get home after training, it’s easy to start doomscrolling on TikTok or putting on a series (B&B Vol Liefde seems to be very popular with our coaches and members). A better idea is to grab a book. Less bright lights, fewer constant stimuli, and you might even learn something.

5. No phone in the bedroom

Following up on that: don’t take your phone to your bedroom. Leave it charging in your living room, or at least out of your reach. Phones constantly provide new stimuli, making them a major enemy of getting sleepy. Read your book, and you’ll notice that your eyes will get heavy soon enough.