Post-workout Recovery : 7 Tips to help your aching muscles & Increase Performance!
I remember when I started working out, I would workout EVERYDAY! I mean the more I worked out, the better results I would yield and the better I would look, right? The thought of taking a day off seemed absurd.
The first time I took a day off, I was bored out of my mind and was literally itching to return to the gym. When I returned the next day, I did notice something different though… I noticed I felt rested and was able to lift heavier and run a little faster. That’s when I thought there maybe something to this resting thing.
I decided ok, let’s try resting, but make it fun and beneficial to help me go beast mode when I return to the gym. I’ve made a list below of some of the things I do to help in my recovery, and although a little painful sometimes (been working those muscles hard right!?) the results are awesome! Check them out below and remember a day off is a positive thing 😊:
- Rehydrate: This one shouldn’t be a surprise on this list but it’s something that we all struggle with, even me sometimes! If you start making a conscious effort to drink water post workout (throughout the day too) the benefits will start kicking in. Your muscles are ~75% water, so you need to replenish that water after a good sweat session. Water helps to energize your muscles and lubricate your joints and if you are dehydrated, protein synthesis that helps to rebuild your muscles, will be slowed impacting your recovery time. Dehydration also can lead to fatigue post workout as your blood volume is decreased, making your heart work harder pumping blood throughout the body to where oxygen and nutrients are needed. This may lead to you feeling drained throughout the day and not realizing the full benefits of your workout, while also making you question if you really should do it again tomorrow. So, grab that reusable bottle and as you finish your workout make sure to refill it, and make a conscious effort to drink it all!
- Stretch/Foam Roll: Do you ever finish your workout and think oh crap I’m going to be late for something or I’m so hungry I just want to get out of here and grab dinner? Well that is probably what a lot of you say and I used to as well until I took the time (can be as quick as 10 minutes) and began stretching and/or foam rolling after every workout. Man did I start to notice a difference! That’s because when you stretch/foam roll, you are helping to relieve muscle tightness/soreness, reduce inflammation and increase your range of motion. This is because fresh blood and nutrients are able to get to your fatigued muscles as you work on them. Hey, as painful as it can be on those sore muscles, it can be relaxing some days, allowing you to recentre yourself after a tough workout and help lower your heart rate. You’re not only getting into a relaxed state, but as you make this a regular habit, you will notice improved muscle function and you won’t be waking up the next day in pain (or less pain then you normally would haha)!
- Active Recovery: You might be wondering what does active recovery even mean? It is activity that is comprised of gentle movements on your body, which are less intense and done at a lower volume than your regular day of exercise. You are able to get your blood circulation going, while helping to remove metabolic waste such as lactate. Active recovery is designed to help your muscles recover, strengthen, and repair after you have worked them hard the day before. The type of activity will vary for everyone depending on how your body feels and what your athletic training is like but some great things that you can try are: going for a walk outside, stretching, yoga, or the elliptical. You want to perform all these movements at a low intensity and just enjoy the workout helping release your muscles.
- Get a Massage: Massages can be one of the most relaxing things you can do for yourself in a self-care and recovery practice, no lie though, they can also hurt like a b*tch! That pain though as long as it is not excruciating, is actually very helpful in your bodies recovery process. This is because massages have two major physical effects: 1. Increases blood and lymph circulation and 2. Relaxation and normalization of the soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissues), which all release nerves and deep connective tissues. Massages help to reduce inflammation, which is a key in aiding your recovery. Depending on how your body feels, is the type of massage you should get and note that one day you might feel instant relief, while another day you might be tender after the massage as key trigger-point areas required extra work. Don’t worry though, you will feel the benefits eventually!
- Water Therapy (Hot/Cold Shower and/or Ice Bath): You’ve seen professional athletes jumping into ice cold tubs after practice or heard about hot and cold-water rotation (2 minutes hot water then 30 seconds cold), so why could it be helpful for you? Well the cold water helps to constrict your blood vessels and flush out waste products (lactic acid), while decreasing your metabolic activity and reducing both inflammation and tissue breakdown. Meanwhile when you add back in that warm water (which I love a whole lot more) it helps to increase blood flow and speed up circulation, which in theory should help in your recovery process. So, give that polar bear dip a try and see whatcha think!
- Get Sleep: This is SO important not only for your athletic recovery but for your memory and productivity, mental health, immune system and even your appearance to keep you looking youthful! To get all the info you need on “Why You Need Sleep,” check out the blog on my page I wrote. It will have you sleeping like a baby after!
- Avoid Overtraining & Take Some Rest Days: This is key, and you need to learn to listen to your body! Working out is like a marathon, it’s not a sprint to the finish line cause you want your body to improve over time and sustain itself through any bumps in the road. In order to do this, you need to create a smart training program (If you need some help CHECK ME OUT, as I’m happy to help) so that you avoid over exercising, heavy training during every workout, and never taking a day off. You need those rest days to help make the gains you are looking for, and your performance won’t decrease with one day off, it will actually improve!
These are only a few tips and tricks that will help you on the road to recovery after a hard workout. Remember the most important things are the things we often forget, so this week try and drink an extra glass of water every day, get at least 7 hours of sleep a night and take a day to focus on your recovery, doing low impact relaxing exercise.
If you’re looking to change your current exercise routine, then reach out to me at TRAIN WITH TRUDIE and let’s get started!
Check out my programs HERE!
I remember when I started working out, I would workout EVERYDAY! I mean the more I worked out, the better results I would yield and the better I would look, right? The thought of taking a day off seemed absurd.
The first time I took a day off, I was bored out of my mind and was literally itching to return to the gym. When I returned the next day, I did notice something different though… I noticed I felt rested and was able to lift heavier and run a little faster. That’s when I thought there maybe something to this resting thing.
I decided ok, let’s try resting, but make it fun and beneficial to help me go beast mode when I return to the gym. I’ve made a list below of some of the things I do to help in my recovery, and although a little painful sometimes (been working those muscles hard right!?) the results are awesome! Check them out below and remember a day off is a positive thing 😊:
- Rehydrate: This one shouldn’t be a surprise on this list but it’s something that we all struggle with, even me sometimes! If you start making a conscious effort to drink water post workout (throughout the day too) the benefits will start kicking in. Your muscles are ~75% water, so you need to replenish that water after a good sweat session. Water helps to energize your muscles and lubricate your joints and if you are dehydrated, protein synthesis that helps to rebuild your muscles, will be slowed impacting your recovery time. Dehydration also can lead to fatigue post workout as your blood volume is decreased, making your heart work harder pumping blood throughout the body to where oxygen and nutrients are needed. This may lead to you feeling drained throughout the day and not realizing the full benefits of your workout, while also making you question if you really should do it again tomorrow. So, grab that reusable bottle and as you finish your workout make sure to refill it, and make a conscious effort to drink it all!
- Stretch/Foam Roll: Do you ever finish your workout and think oh crap I’m going to be late for something or I’m so hungry I just want to get out of here and grab dinner? Well that is probably what a lot of you say and I used to as well until I took the time (can be as quick as 10 minutes) and began stretching and/or foam rolling after every workout. Man did I start to notice a difference! That’s because when you stretch/foam roll, you are helping to relieve muscle tightness/soreness, reduce inflammation and increase your range of motion. This is because fresh blood and nutrients are able to get to your fatigued muscles as you work on them. Hey, as painful as it can be on those sore muscles, it can be relaxing some days, allowing you to recentre yourself after a tough workout and help lower your heart rate. You’re not only getting into a relaxed state, but as you make this a regular habit, you will notice improved muscle function and you won’t be waking up the next day in pain (or less pain then you normally would haha)!
- Active Recovery: You might be wondering what does active recovery even mean? It is activity that is comprised of gentle movements on your body, which are less intense and done at a lower volume than your regular day of exercise. You are able to get your blood circulation going, while helping to remove metabolic waste such as lactate. Active recovery is designed to help your muscles recover, strengthen, and repair after you have worked them hard the day before. The type of activity will vary for everyone depending on how your body feels and what your athletic training is like but some great things that you can try are: going for a walk outside, stretching, yoga, or the elliptical. You want to perform all these movements at a low intensity and just enjoy the workout helping release your muscles.
- Get a Massage: Massages can be one of the most relaxing things you can do for yourself in a self-care and recovery practice, no lie though, they can also hurt like a b*tch! That pain though as long as it is not excruciating, is actually very helpful in your bodies recovery process. This is because massages have two major physical effects: 1. Increases blood and lymph circulation and 2. Relaxation and normalization of the soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissues), which all release nerves and deep connective tissues. Massages help to reduce inflammation, which is a key in aiding your recovery. Depending on how your body feels, is the type of massage you should get and note that one day you might feel instant relief, while another day you might be tender after the massage as key trigger-point areas required extra work. Don’t worry though, you will feel the benefits eventually!
- Water Therapy (Hot/Cold Shower and/or Ice Bath): You’ve seen professional athletes jumping into ice cold tubs after practice or heard about hot and cold-water rotation (2 minutes hot water then 30 seconds cold), so why could it be helpful for you? Well the cold water helps to constrict your blood vessels and flush out waste products (lactic acid), while decreasing your metabolic activity and reducing both inflammation and tissue breakdown. Meanwhile when you add back in that warm water (which I love a whole lot more) it helps to increase blood flow and speed up circulation, which in theory should help in your recovery process. So, give that polar bear dip a try and see whatcha think!
- Get Sleep: This is SO important not only for your athletic recovery but for your memory and productivity, mental health, immune system and even your appearance to keep you looking youthful! To get all the info you need on “Why You Need Sleep,” check out the blog on my page I wrote. It will have you sleeping like a baby after!
- Avoid Overtraining & Take Some Rest Days: This is key, and you need to learn to listen to your body! Working out is like a marathon, it’s not a sprint to the finish line cause you want your body to improve over time and sustain itself through any bumps in the road. In order to do this, you need to create a smart training program (If you need some help CHECK ME OUT, as I’m happy to help) so that you avoid over exercising, heavy training during every workout, and never taking a day off. You need those rest days to help make the gains you are looking for, and your performance won’t decrease with one day off, it will actually improve!
These are only a few tips and tricks that will help you on the road to recovery after a hard workout. Remember the most important things are the things we often forget, so this week try and drink an extra glass of water every day, get at least 7 hours of sleep a night and take a day to focus on your recovery, doing low impact relaxing exercise.
If you’re looking to change your current exercise routine, then reach out to me at TRAIN WITH TRUDIE and let’s get started!
Check out my programs HERE!
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