Good morning! This article could not have come at a better time for me because today was LEG DAY.
Establishing an enjoyable workout schedule that pushes you but is also fun, is important for keeping fit and healthy and in good shape. However, what is not so fun, is the aches and pains and general soreness that often follow a good workout.
Although post-workout soreness is natural and can’t be 100% eliminated,you can minimise your discomfort. By putting in place proper recovery processes, you can ensure that you suffer from a small amount of post-workout discomfort. And also, that your body and muscles recover more quickly.
But what are the best ways to speed up your post-workout recovery and reduce pain and soreness?
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To help you learn the best ways to recover after a workout, we have put together these handy tips below:
- Eat something
Once you have completed a workout, it is essential that you eat something as soon as possible. You have a very short time frame to replace what was lost during your workout – you have an hour at the maximum to eat.
If you don’t eat, you want have enough energy for your next workout. You also won’t have enough protein to repair muscles or enough fat for your joints and hormones.
If you are unsure what to eat, try eating a bowl of brown rice or quinoa and chicken or a protein shake with fruit and whey powder.
In terms of recovery, dehydration is one of the worst things that can happen. So it is important to keep hydrated throughout the day, as well as while you exercise.
You should be drinking around 250 ml of water for every 10 to 20 minutes of exercise you do. Plus another 250 ml of water within half an hour of finishing your workout.
- Compression
After finishing a workout, doing a brief cool down session can help to decrease post-workout soreness and pain.
However, techniques such as massaging and using a foam roller can not only decrease pain and soreness, it can also remove tight or sore areas from the muscles. For best results, use a foam roller after every strenuous workout and get a sports massage once a month.
- Blood flow
Increasing your blood flow after exercise will aid and speed up your post-workout recovery time. But what is the best way to increase your blood flow?
There are various different ways you can increase your blood flow; these range from going for a gentle jog to taking a cold bath. The best techniques that can increase blood flow are things like going for a walk or gentle bike ride, alternating between hot and cold water in your shower or taking an ice bath.
- Topical ointments
One of the best ways to reduce post-workout soreness and pain is with topical ointments. These ointments work by creating a pain-relieving sensation and increasing blood flow to the area.
The best ointments to use are things like Arnica gel, Traumeel and Tiger Balm. These can all be rubbed onto sore muscles straight after a workout and for up to a week afterwards.
What tips will you follow? I think I might try Tiger Balm and I know I need to start foam-rolling.
