Peloton Instructor Kendall Toole Shares How She Recovers After Workouts
When you hop on that Peloton spin bike and choose a Kendall Toole ride, expect to push your body in new ways every time. Sometimes, you can even get a little boxing with 2-pound weights into 30 or 45 minutes of cycle time, as boxing is Toole's specialty and she will add those moments in for a little extra kick to break those muscles down while building your cardio endurance up. You might even get a little boxing if you take one of Toole's strength training classes as well, especially a core class.
However, those moments when you're deep into a workout while dripping sweat are not the moments when your body gets the benefits of the moves. That time comes after the workout, known as your recovery time. According to Healthline, the actual workout creates microscopic tears in your muscles and your body needs the recovery time to repair them.
When you rest, you are not being lazy. Instead, you are giving fibroblast cells the chance to heal and grow your muscle tissue, leaving them stronger in the end. Recovery also prevents your muscles from becoming over fatigued, while also reducing your risk of injury. When you go for it again with Toole motivating you along the way, you're going to perform even better if you've taken the recovery time you need. But how does Toole recover herself?
Kendall Toole takes care of her body so she can teach and take care of you
Kendall Toole knows that pushing yourself too hard and too far with no recovery will not improve your fitness journey and maybe even impede it. That's why she takes recovery time seriously and does everything she can to give her body a chance to both rest and build.
"I work with a physical therapist every single week, which is absolutely essential. And having really good sleep hygiene is key," she told Bustle.
While we all not be able to work with a physical therapist regularly, we can still make sure to get adequate sleep by making sure to go to bed at the same time each night and unplugging, meaning not falling asleep with your phone in your hand or the television on (via Bustle). Toole also employs active recoveries that keep her body busy while it repairs from harder workouts. She also feels it's just as important to recover mentally, as well as physically.
"On my rest and recovery days, there's a lot of meditation. Pilates has been fantastic to unlock areas of my body. Yoga too. Taking the time to do both forms of mindful movement helps me stay mentally and emotionally relaxed," she said (via Bustle). "A lot of people think about recovery and only consider the physical aspects of it, when really, the sleep and mental and emotional breaks are also key when it comes to our health and fitness."