The Power of Recovery - In Conversation with Tig from Strongher

“For me, recovery means to give yourself space. Both mentally and physically. It’s about knowing when to take the space and how to do it.”

Tig Hodson is an athlete, coach, and co-founder of Strongher - a women’s only strength-training space. Over the last seven years, Tig has competed in bodybuilding, been a spin instructor, and rediscovered functional training through the Turf Games. This year Tig was going to tackle a triathlon but COVID had other plans. So she’s ditched the swimsuit and picked up the barbell. Guided by a personal coach she’s focussing on Olympic Lifting. When I interviewed Tig she was injured and hadn’t been able to train for the last few weeks. 

Tig has a more holistic approach to recovery - her non-negotiables… 

• Getting 6 ½ hours of good quality sleep a night.

• Your body is a giant signal, don’t ignore how your body feels.

• Learn how to manage your stress and take time out.

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What does the word recovery mean to you?

For me, recovery means to give yourself space. Both mentally and physically. It’s the ability to remove yourself from a stressful situation, whatever that is. I need recovery from being at Strongher space coaching all day, recovery from being injured, recovery from a relationship. It’s about knowing when to take the space and how to do it. 

What does your approach to recovery look like?

Recovery is a big priority for me. I need energy and my clearest head to grow my business. I love an early morning routine - which comprises of breath-work, movement, and one business task, all before 9am. If this doesn’t happen I don’t feel mentally prepped for the day which will impact my recovery at the end of it. For physical recovery I prioritise sleep. I go to bed at 9pm every day and finish eating at 7pm to give my body time to digest before sleeping.

How have injuries impacted your training and mindset towards training?

Having injuries is always very annoying. You see yourself as a capable individual, and then to have a blocker is a massive thing to manage. I still don’t feel comfortable with having limitations. But I think recovering from an injury is a mind game and takes a lot of resilience. You have to give yourself time and be patient.

What is your approach to physio?

I have a rolling check-up with a physio every six-weeks, and if I have an injury I will see a physio more regularly. After being a spin instructor for two-years I was very aware there was a shift in my body, from having to lead with my left leg. I wanted to be able to check-in with someone and keep me on track. 

At Strongher we are big on mobility and range of movement. We encourage our clients to work on niggles, they don’t magically disappear. 

When you have niggles, what do you tend to do?

• Stretch

• Use a Theragun

• Mobility work

• If mobility aggravates the niggle then I’ll see a physio

I know you’ve been on a journey with sleep, triggered by your Whoop strap. Can you tell me a bit more about that?

I got a Whoop strap because I wanted to become more consistent with my training. I wanted to be able to perform better and understand if I was giving myself the best chance to do that. I experimented with when I drank coffee, when I finished eating, when I drank alcohol. I learnt a lot about what I needed to do to have better, higher quality sleep.

What are your tactics for improving your quality of sleep? 

• Consistent bedtime - 9pm every night, 9.45pm latest.

• Magnesium tablets before bed - used to have one per night, but two works better for me.

• Listen to 30 minutes of audible, usually business, or empowerment books - the last one was Lunar Living by Kirsty Gallagher.

• I use a Bluetooth eyemask which has inbuilt headphones so I don’t disturb my sleep by taking them out. 

• I stop looking at my phone one hour before I go to bed - I put it in another room to stop myself from looking at it.