Everyone appreciates a good workout, but what do you do after the workout? What happens after exercise is just as important as the workout itself since an improper cooldown or lack of said cooldown can increase one’s risk for injury. We’ve highlighted some of the most popular recovery methods used by athletes and fitness enthusiasts around the world. Try one or two of the below methods or mix and match to see what works for you. These methods will help you stay in fighting shape and give you the full benefits of your workout:
#1: Hydration
While it may seem like a no-brainer, a lot of people forget to hydrate after a workout due to how tired they are afterward. Drinking plenty of water after a workout is necessary to help cool down your body and break up bouts of lactic acid in the body. It also helps decrease your risk of a heat injury and helps you maintain normal body functions.
#2: Stretching
Yes, stretching is just as important after the workout as it is before the workout. It helps to prevent the muscles from cramping and relaxes them. Stretching keeps your muscles flexible and loose after strenuous activity.
#3: Massage
While many people would not think to get a massage right after exercise, it provides many different benefits. Getting a massage helps to improve your recovery and prevents pain and soreness following training and workouts. It also has the added benefit of lowering stress levels. If you have not considered it in the past, we highly recommend getting a massage in the future.
#4: Ice Bath
An ice bath is a pretty common recovery method in higher levels of competitive sports and high-caliber athletes are known utilize this method quite often. The cold of the ice bath helps to reduce swelling and tissue breakdown resulting in your muscles being less sore and an overall reduction of pain, especially around joints.
#5: Sauna
On the other side of the coin, you can also utilize a sauna at your local gym. There are many different types of saunas that one may use but they all provide various benefits. A sauna after a workout can help to lower stress levels, promote muscle recovery, and improve blood circulation which may improve heart health.
#6: Refueling and Eating
Just as it is important to take care of your muscles by massaging and relaxing them, you also need to provide them with the essential vitamins and minerals for them to function. Eating after a workout provides you with energy to continue your day and provides your muscles with the nutrients to build muscle.
#7: Napping
Yes, one of everyone’s favorite afternoon activities can help you in pursuit of your fitness goals. Napping after a workout can provide a variety of benefits such as improved memory. The added sleep also aids in muscle recovery and gives you a little boost of energy during your day.
#8: Compression
Compression of the muscles is a very overlooked recovery method. Compression helps with the removal of lactic acid buildup which leads to reduced soreness and aids in muscle recovery. While typically not the first on someone’s mind, compression recovery is gaining popularity.
#9 Percussion
Percussion therapy is a type of massage therapy designed to soothe sore muscles after intense workouts. It involves using a massage gun to rapidly strike muscle tissue, increasing blood flow for faster recovery, pain relief, and improved range of motion. This study was the first to examine the effect of a 5-min massage of the calf muscles on the ROM and muscle performance (MVC) of the plantar flexor muscles. The study suggests including a percussive massage treatment in a warm-up regimen to optimize the flexibility level of an athlete, without losing muscle performance.
