I’m speaking for almost all runners when I say how important recovery is, yet we just don’t seem to make enough time for it. If you want to improve your performance and keep running for a LONG time, recovering properly is necessary—and there is no way around it! Unfortunately many runners learn the hard way when they get injured. I usually say my routine is pretty basic, but in reality, it is actually NOT basic at all. It includes my daily runs, strength workouts, mobility sessions, focused attention on good nutrition, and a good mix of recovery techniques. I’ve recently added a new go-to gadget to my recovery component that I want to share with everyone in the running community.
The Apollo Wearable
I was not too sure how this simple device would help me recover faster with so little effort, but I am so happy I started incorporating it into my routine. A miracle-worker (in my opinion), the Apollo wearable helps shorten your recovery time from any physical or emotional stress by improving heart rate variability (HRV). It’s best to first explain what this important, yet often ignored, metric is and how it relates to our athletic performance, among other parts of our daily lives.
What is Heart Rate Variability?
Heart rate variability, or HRV, is the variation in time between each heartbeat. It is mainly controlled by our autonomic nervous system, which is the part of our nervous system that regulates our blood pressure, digestion, respiration, and heart rate, among other variables. Have you heard of the terms “fight or flight” and “rest and digest”? Well, these are our body’s responses, stemming from the two parts of the ANS—our sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.
In non-scientific terms, these two systems are in charge of our response to stimuli, may it be physical stressors like an intense workout and poor sleep, or emotional stressors like an argument with a friend or excitement from a job promotion. The response to these stimuli, whether they are positive or negative, would be a “fight or flight” reaction. On the opposite spectrum, being able to relax our responses is considered a “rest and digest” reaction. The goal is to have the proper balance between the two. Continued physical and emotional stressors in our day on a persistent basis will lead to an overdrive of our fight or flight system. Heart rate variability will be lower in those who are often in a fight of flight state and higher in those who can maintain a more relaxed state.
So, What Does This Have to Do with Athletic Performance?
It may sound like an indirect link to our performance, but improving HRV may be a key factor in how quickly you can recover from exercise; and if you can recover quickly, this means you are ready (and stronger) for another workout in less time. If you are fully recovered from those grueling strength sessions or speed workouts in less time, then your performance on your next workouts will be greatly improved. Imagine these effects over the long term! Once I learned all about this connection I was motivated more to make my recovery a priority while marathon training.
The Benefits of Proper Recovery
If you’re working hard at achieving any type of fitness goal, you obviously want that hard work to pay off. You may get away with getting through your workouts after one or two nights of poor sleep but trying to consistently push through when you are not well rested and recovered will only delay your results. How? Well, first off—you’ll risk getting injured. If and when this happens, it will be the one circumstance that will put you back weeks or even several months while you rehabilitate your injury. Number two—lack of proper recovery will cause your body to not be able to work as hard. This means you'll be unable to run as fast or as long, you’ll limit how much weight you can lift during your strength training sessions, and even worse you’ll do all of this with poor, fatigued form. The latter will increase your injury risk further.
Your recovery periods, whether it be sleep or daily downtime, is when your muscles build strength and endurance. You probably thought this building happens DURING your workouts, right? Nope! It’s during rest that this happens. If you don’t get enough quality rest, you won’t make the gains you are working so hard for everyday during your workouts and training. I hope you are convinced you need to make time for recovery. Good thing the Apollo wearable can take care of the quality of that recovery!
Strap Up and Relax
That’s basically it! Well, you can actually use the Apollo wearable a few different ways: either around the wrist or ankle or clipped on to your waistband or sports bra—anywhere alongside a bone. It is important to note that the Apollo wearable does not measure your heart rate variability—it helps you improve the variable in a way that promotes a more meditative state in the body. I’ve personally been wearing it around my wrist or ankle for my post-workout recovery and around my ankle for sleep. It’s extremely comfortable and since it comes in different sizes, you can make it fit your body almost perfectly that you don’t even feel it’s there.
So, on to how it works…
The Apollo wearable is extremely lightweight and easy to use. It requires bluetooth connectivity to your phone where you download the Apollo app. There a several modes to choose from depending on what daily situations where you need a little boost to stay productive. My favorites are the Rebuild and Recover, which I use after my workouts and morning runs, and the Sleep and Renew—my lifesaver for better sleep! The other modes are great as well if you need extra focus and energy before work meetings or relaxation after a hard day.
The concept of Apollo is that it provides a quiet and soothing vibration that assists in putting you into a mediative state without actually mediating. You can adjust the intensity of the vibrations right on the app before, during or after your session as well so you can have the right amount for your needs. The goal is to feel the vibrations at a non-distracting intensity. These vibrations are intended to relax your mind and rebalance your nervous system, and it really does work! This will result in better adaptation to stress, whether physical or mental. Research has shown a significant improvement in heart rate variability over time with consistent use.
I personally have been using the Apollo wearable for five weeks and certainly do feel more energized before my focused work tasks and less fatigued for my training sessions. Getting good sleep has always been a struggle for me, and since using Apollo I am now falling asleep faster and not waking up as groggy as I used to! The combination of recovering quicker after my workouts and runs AND getting more quality sleep is definitely helping me perform better on my runs. Increasing my mileage and hitting my faster paces during workouts feels much more doable these days.
Since my marathon training is a high priority for me right now, I’ve had a stronger focus on improving how I recover and prepare for my workouts, which is something runners often ignore. I have seen the greatest improvements in how much better I feel each day, especially after intense sessions. I used to spend hours after workouts feeling tired, fatigued, and having a difficult time focusing on the rest of my day. Now I feel more rejuvenated and ready to tackle my work tasks. I set up the Rebuild and Recover mode to 30% intensity for 30-60 minutes (depending on how much time I have) while I do a few mobility exercises, stretching, and meditating on my yoga mat after my runs. It’s truly been a game changer!
Sleep is for Building
That’s right! Most runners and anyone into fitness is either not aware of this fact or they simply do not want to admit it. Increasing my mileage means I need more sleep in order to recover from my workouts and busy day but also to build the strength I need to put in more work the next day. The Relax and Unwind mode has been a great option during the hour before I want to fall asleep. I keep the Apollo wearable on my ankle, set up the intensity to 40%, and use it for at least 20 minutes. I switch this mode to Sleep and Renew for 60 minutes at 50% intensity. What’s great about the ease of using the app and the comfortable wearable is I can keep it on all night and quickly click to play the Sleep and Renew mode again if I wake up during the night and need help to fall back asleep. Getting better sleep is a great way to lower your resting heart rate in general—a good indicator of being well recovered as a runner.
Consistency is Key
This is true for working towards fitness goals and for getting results using the Apollo wearable. It is not a device to use just once and you see improvements. To be honest, I did actually feel more relaxed during the very first time I tried it—the light touch and soothing vibration does wonders to calm any nerves. In order to see the benefits in your actual heart rate variability that it leads to improved performance from the resulting better sleep and quicker recovery, you need to use it often. The instructions say at least three hours a day for five days per week, which is how I started—1 hour after my morning run for recovery, 1 hour before my afternoon workout for energy, and 1 hour before bed for relaxation. I have since been using it for at least five hours everyday.
I’ll now be transitioning to keeping my wearable on throughout the day and use the scheduling feature on the app, which automatically plays the modes I want without having to even think about it. This is helpful if you already have a set schedule for workouts, busy work tasks, and bedtime routine.
Other Uses
Although my main purpose for incorporating the Apollo wearable into my routine is to help improve my running performance, I’m excited to experience the many other benefits. The mere fact that it helps improve our heart rate variability means it helps with almost any part of our day. Transitions throughout the day can take a good amount of energy in order to stay focused on the task at hand, so feeling more in tune with each moment is the key to staying productive, as well as having good relationships. Using the Social and Open is a great mode on the Apollo app that can help improve your mood going into social events like networking or even date night. To feel more connected with loved ones, the Relax and Unwind can help by relieving your daily stress and feel more relaxed with a partner or friend. I also like to use Clear and Focused during my work day if I need extra energy and concentration for a transition such as a meeting or presentation.
Are you intrigued yet? I hope so! The Apollo wearable has been a game changer for me with my recovery and daily life. I feel more focused and less tired from my grueling workouts that I am able to push myself harder both in my running training and in my business. Having more productive days is a goal of mine coming into the new year, and I know that improving my heart rate variability is important in order to help me achieve this accomplishment. You can get the Apollo wearable for $40 using code: STEPHPI40.