Have you experienced excruciating muscle pain following an intensive workout? While post-workout recovery is an essential aspect of any healthy exercise program, most people don’t know what to do after an intensive workout.
After a long workout, you need to recover properly. But what should you do? This guide explains exactly how to recover after a brutal workout.
Workout Recovery Tips
During a workout, your body experiences a significant amount of stress; thus, it needs time to repair and recover. Having a post-workout routine will help you maximize your exercise results and speed up the recovery process. Follow the below tips that aid in long workout recovery:
- Stay Hydrated
It’s essential to drink lots of fluids before, during, and after an intensive workout to avoid dehydration. It is scientifically proven that dehydration during any physical activity leads to thermoregulatory and cardiovascular response impairment and reduces an individual’s capacity for exercise.
Staying hydrated will help you:
- Regulate your body temperature
- Lubricate your joints
- Maintain an optimum energy level
- Reduce the risk of heat illness when exercising in warm weather
During an intensive workout, you will be losing more water through sweat. If you lose more than you consume, your body will start experiencing dehydration symptoms which include:
- Dryness in the mouth
- Light-headedness and dizziness
- Muscle cramps
- A fast and hard heartbeat
- Vomiting or nausea
- Lack of sweating
If you experience any of the above symptoms, it’s essential to increase your water intake. Water and electrolytes-rich sports drinks are the best post-workout recovery fluids.
- Consider Foam Rolling
After a workout, take a few minutes to relax your muscles using a foam roller. Below are proven benefits of foam rolling:
- Reduces inflammation and relieves muscle pain
- Improves flexibility and boosts your joints’ range of motion
- It alleviates back pain
- Relieves muscle soreness and tightness
- It helps your body relax
While foam rolling is considered a safe recovery method after a workout, you should consult your doctor first if you have ever suffered a severe injury such as a muscle break or a muscle tear.
- Take a Break After an Intensive Workout
After a workout, most people tend to take a quick shower and rush off to their busy schedules. This doesn’t give your muscles and your mind the time to rest. After the shower, take a few minutes to sit down and enjoy a nice post-workout meal or drink.
You can also take a short walk and enjoy the sunset or the sunrise; the point is to relax your mind and live in the moment. Mental stress can hurt your body’s ability to recover after a rigorous workout.
Even when you’re not at the gym, remember to take a few minutes to breathe. Stress can come from your personal or work life. However, if you are unable to cope, talk to someone, or seek professional help.
- Get Enough Sleep
Sleeping after a workout session can boost muscle recovery. You can try taking 15-20 minutes naps during the day if your schedule allows it. Short naps during the day are good for weight management, reducing your stress levels, and stabilizing your blood pressure.
However, this should be in addition to getting a good night’s sleep. Lack of enough sleep can significantly reduce your muscles’ ability to recover after a workout. Experts recommend 7-8 hours of sleep every night to avoid any exercise-related hitches at the gym.
If you have some trouble sleeping, you can consider taking sleep supplements. They contain magnesium, Melatonin, Vitamin B6, and Theanine, which are nutrients that will help your body to start sleeping better.
- Remember to stretch
If you don’t have a foam roller, you should include stretching in your post-workout routine. This will improve your muscle’s flexibility, relieve tension in the joints, and stretch out the muscles. Stretching is also a good way to relieve muscle soreness and improve relaxation.
- Incorporate Proteins in Your Diet
Proteins are muscle-repairing foods that must be integrated into any fitness diet. Instead of taking protein supplements, try getting your intake from whole foods. These include:
- Eggs
- Almonds
- Chicken
- Cheese
- Quinoa
- Tuna
- Greek yogurt
- Lean meats
Protein-rich foods contain amino acids essential for the recovery of the muscles after a workout. Taking a protein-rich snack just before bed will help you reduce muscle soreness that’s often experienced in the days after a workout. But don’t forget to take your protein shakes before and after your workout sessions.
- Take a Probiotic Supplement
Did you know that probiotic boosts recovery? A prebiotic is a healthy bacteria found in the gut that keeps your immune and digestive systems healthy. For your body to cope and recover from day-to-day stressors such as exercises, your immune system must be healthy.
It will be more difficult for your body to recover from an intensive exercise session if your immune system is weakened.
- Eat a Balanced Diet
Getting the right dose of healthy nutrients is an essential part of any workout program. A balanced diet will ensure your body gets the nutrients and energy it needs during workouts. Use the below tips to ensure you incorporate a balanced diet into your fitness program:
- Start your day with a healthy breakfast
- Ensure you consume the right types of carbs
- Include fruits and vegetables in your diet
- Swap potato chips for healthy snacks
- Reduce your alcohol intake
Eating healthy is not only an excellent tip for post-workout recovery, but it also has other benefits such as the reduced risk of chronic illnesses such as heart diseases and diabetes.
Now You Know How to Recover After a Brutal Workout!
Your ability to recover after a grueling workout session depends on everything you do when you’re at the gym and when you’re not. It depends on what you eat, what you drink, how you treat yourself, and what you do to cope with every-day stressors.
Well, now that you know how to recover after a brutal workout, your time at the gym should feel less stressful! Take some time to read other tips on our different posts.