Along with having a consistent workout routine and doing the right kind of exercises, post-workout recovery plays an important part in reaching your fitness goals. As you work out, you use up a lot of energy and cause microscopic damage to your muscle cells. During the post-workout period, your body takes the team to recoup, kicking into healing, restoring, and replenishing mode. Boost your post-workout recovery with a couple of best practices you can do at home, and get ready to head back into the gym feeling better than ever!
Nutrition Refuel
After burning off a lot of your energy working out, your body needs a fuel top-up. Indulging in nutrient-rich food and drinks replenishes your energy supplies and feeds your body with nourishment that enhances your natural healing process. Feed yourself some pre and post-workout nutrition to boost your recovery and minimize the wear and tear your workout has on your body.
At-Home Red Light Therapy
Red light exposure expedites muscle healing and growth, stimulating cell turnover and speeding up the muscle fiber fusion process. Red light therapy is an excellent tool for recovery that can get your body back in top shape to exercise again. At-home red light therapy devices offer many benefits, providing you with lots of enjoyable features, purposes, and uses. Spending a couple of minutes on a red light therapy mat gives your cells enough of a boost to work their magic.
Quality Rest and Sleep
Resting and sleeping allow your body to use its energy for recovery efforts. The energy you aren’t burning goes toward your natural healing process, from cell turnover to repairs. Getting enough rest and quality sleep gives your body the time it needs to work on itself.
Rolling and Stretching
Stretching and foam rolling contribute to post-workout recovery in many ways. These actions keep muscles flexible, reduce tension and tightness, and promote circulation, ensuring your body’s essential systems receive the nutrients and oxygen needed to bounce back. Rolling your muscles and doing a full body stretch routine after your workout makes next-day aches less painful, allowing you to jump straight back into workouts with ease.
Cold and Heat Compressions
The heat and cold cause different reactions that can soothe pain and boost recovery. Heat relaxes muscles and increases blood circulation, while cold temperatures reduce inflammation and soothe joints. Applying hot and cold compresses or taking an iced or warm bath alleviates post-workout pain and discomfort.
Whether you smashed a strength training session or ran further and faster than ever before, boost your post-workout recovery with these five tips and best practices. The faster you heal, the quicker you can get back into action.
Dianne Pajo is a Certified Personal Trainer based out of the Chicagoland area with a passion for music, combat sports, and animals. She enjoys competing in amateur boxing and kickboxing, but in her other leisure time, you can find her performing music around the city. She is also a dog mom of 2.