One of the most common mistakes athletes and rehab clients make is not giving their body enough time to recover between training sessions. Whether you’re returning from injury or trying to build strength and endurance, knowing how your muscles, tendons, bones, and nervous system respond to different training loads is key to staying pain-free and progressing faster.
Below is valuable insight into how long different tissues and systems take to recover—and how our physiotherapists, at The Physio Crew, can tailor your rehab or training program based on your body’s unique needs.
At our Tullamarine and Carlton physiotherapy clinics, we use this research to fine-tune your rehab and performance plans:
1. Muscle Recovery
- Recovery from high-intensity strength work or sprinting can take 2–3+ days
- For these sessions, we recommend twice-weekly loading, with lower-intensity activity (e.g., mobility, aerobic work) in between, which can be done daily.
2. Tendon & Bone Recovery
- Tendons and bones adapt more slowly than muscles
- Programs often use gradual progressive loading with lower frequency to avoid overload
- Tendon rehab (e.g., Achilles or patellar) should be scheduled with at least 48 hours of rest between heavy sessions
3. Cartilage & Joint Recovery
- Cartilage responds well to frequent, low-load movement, like walking or light cycling
- Avoid high-impact loading every day if dealing with joint issues (e.g. osteoarthritis or post-surgical knees)
4. Nervous System Recovery
- CNS fatigue from intense training, sprints, or heavy lifts may last 3+ days
- We manage this with a “polarised approach”:
🔹 80% low-intensity work
🔹 20% high-intensity loading, spaced out over the week
What Happens After You Load a Tissue or System?
- Recovery time depends on both training intensity and volume
- Different tissues (muscle, tendon, cartilage, bone) recover at different rates
- Higher intensity = longer recovery time
- Lower intensity = shorter recovery, but can be done more frequently
- The central nervous system (CNS) and eccentric muscle actions (like sprinting) require up to 3 days of recovery
- Low-load activity like walking or isometrics can be repeated in as little as 30 minutes to a few hours
Our Physiotherapists, at the physio crew in Carlton, Tullamarine and Melbourne, balance intensity, volume, and frequency to avoid overtraining, under-recovery, and re-injury. Our patients have access to our state-of-the-art gym in Carlton and Tullamarine to complete their rehabilitation and training programs.
Whether you’re dealing with a recent injury, recurring niggles, or looking to optimise your performance, our physiotherapists in Tullamarine and Carlton are here to help you train smarter, not harder.
Visit us at:
– Tullamarine Clinic: 1/191 Melrose Drive, Tullamarine, 3043
– Carlton Clinic: 2/221 Drummond Street, Carlton, 3053
Call Now to Book:
Tullamarine: 9116 8691
Carlton: 9116 8693
Or Book Online at thephysiocrew.com.au
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