8 Tips To Recovery Faster After Workouts

Recovery

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8 Tips To Recover Faster After Workouts - March 22, 2021

After getting through an especially tough workout, what can you do to address the constant burning feeling in your muscles? Luckily, there are actually many things you can do to refresh your body, so here are my top 8 tips to recover faster after your workouts.

1) DYNAMIC STRETCHING

Ideally, before and after your workout you should take some time to stretch your muscles. Stretching is a fantastic way to relieve muscular tension & improve flexibility. It also reduces the risk that you will end up with an injury from straining your muscles during your workout.

Try warming up with 5 minutes of dynamic stretching before your workout, then cooling down for another 5 minutes afterwards. A proper routine should involve taking all of the joints of your body through a full range of motion for the best outcome.

2) STAY HYDRATED

We all know that water is essential for your body's functioning. Unfortunately, it is the thing that is depleted the fastest during your workout, meaning that you will need to stay topped up to keep your body running well.

A great way to stay hydrated is to drink electrolytes during your workout. Many people will drink things like Gatorade or Powerade for electrolytes. These drinks work well, but they contain a lot of sugar and unnecessary ingredients. For a healthier alternative just add some standard electrolyte powder into your water instead.

3) TAKE A QUICK WALK

Similar to stretching, a quick 10 minute walk is a great way for you to warm up before your workout and also a way to cool down afterward.

Don't worry too much about the speed at which you walk. Just getting your blood flowing throughout the body is beneficial for recovery. This process is actually known as active recovery, which allows your body to flush out the lactic acid built up during your workouts much more efficiently than if you were to sit down. Excess lactic acid is what leads to muscle cramps and the general muscular soreness that you feel after exercising. 

4) DRINK A PROTEIN SHAKE

Your muscles need to rebuild themselves after you push them during your workouts. Similarly, they also need the energy to power themselves throughout the workout. Protein is a necessary building block for your body to function optimally, which you can take either before or after your workouts.

In general, you should aim to consume about 0.8-1.0 grams (g) of protein per kilogram (kg) of bodyweight. If you struggle to get adequate protein in your regular diet, drinking a whey isolate protein shake is a great way to boost your overall protein intake.

Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't really matter when you take this protein shake in the day, however there is some research that endorses taking your protein just before bed as it can promote optimal muscle protein synthesis.

5) MASSAGE

Everyone enjoys a good massage! You can get a massage from your local registered massage therapist or you can even use a foam roller. Both are effective at reducing muscle tension and improving blood flow. They can also help to break up the lactic acid that builds up from your workouts, which will definitely help hasten your recovery.

6) TAKE REST DAYS

When you get into a regular rhythm of workouts, it can be addicting to exercise all the time. However, sometimes more is not always better!

The problem here is that a complete lack of rest between your workout days really is not good for your overall fitness. Sadly, it can impair your body's ability to regenerate itself properly. Without rest days you are much more likely to plateau and not see the results that you really want. Ideally, you should aim to take at least 2 days off for rest each week. A good idea would be to separate these rest days at opposite ends of the week. For example, you could take Sundays and Wednesdays off.

7) GET PROPER SLEEP

Sleep is one of the most powerful healing abilities that your body has. Your muscles recover & rebuild while you are sleeping, and a better sleep at night will ensure that you are fresh to exercise again tomorrow.

In fact, sleep deprivation has negative effects on your workouts. Lack of sleep makes it almost impossible to recover properly from your workouts, leaving you feeling completely spent before your next session. You definitely want to avoid that situation, so make sure you get at least 7 hours of deep sleep each night. This is especially the case on rest days!

8) AVOID ALCOHOL

Overconsumption of alcohol has been proven to prevent your body from producing glycogen, which is an essential fuel reserve for muscle recovery. Additionally, alcohol is an inhibiting factor in your body's natural ability to synthesize protein that is directly necessary for repairing your muscles after a workout.
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