How to Recover After Your Workout – Do These 5 Things!
What you do after your workout is critical to achieving results like muscle gain and weight loss while reducing muscle soreness. A post-workout routine also helps to maintain optimal energy levels by restoring vitality, which makes sticking to your fitness plan easier. This article looks at what you should do after a workout to get the best results. Continue reading to find out how to create an effective post-exercise recovery plan.
- Be cautious with the carb and prioritize protein:
Choose meals high in healthy carbohydrates and high-quality proteins to repair and rebuild muscle. Carbohydrates aid in muscle recovery, while proteins aid in muscle growth. Protein powders and animal products are high in protein. If you are lactose intolerant or vegan, you can choose Origin Nutrition’s plant-based protein powder.
- Drink plenty of fluids:
Getting enough fluids before, during, and after a workout aids in proper muscle recovery, avoids dehydration, and reduces muscle soreness. A person should drink at least 500-700 ml of water two hours before a workout, 200-300 ml every 20 minutes during the workout, and 500-700 ml post-workout for every pound lost due to sweat during an intense workout session. Although water can meet most of your fluid needs, other fluids such as coconut water or an unsweetened sports drink containing electrolytes can also be consumed to replenish fluid lost due to excessive sweating.
- Never forget to stretch:
Stretching significant muscles (legs, shoulders, back, abdomen, chest, etc.) or muscles worked out during the session for as little as 10 minutes can help relax those areas, relieve tension, and reduce the chances of injury. It also reduces the likelihood of muscle soreness and speeds up the recovery process. To aid recovery, a longer stretching session of 20-30 minutes on active rest days or attending a relaxing yoga session a couple of times per week can be added to the routine.
- Get a sound sleep:
A healthy adult requires 7-8 hours of good quality sleep, which is one of the most important and undervalued things. Anabolic growth hormone (it aids in tissue growth and repair), is primarily secreted in our bodies during deep sleep. Catabolic cortisol (it inhibits tissue growth and repair) in nature, is produced when our bodies are stressed and is produced the least when we sleep.
- Make sure you take a rest day:
Days of active rest are just as important as days of exercise. They aid in the improvement of circulation throughout the body, resulting in proper nutrient supply to various muscle tissues and the removal of waste products. Walking, jogging, swimming, yoga, active stretching, and other forms of light exercise can be done as part of active rest and recovery days. The idea is to not be a couch potato on your rest days while also not leaving your body fatigued; instead, exercise enough to keep it active and moving.
To reap the most benefits and allow your muscles to heal, you must utilize the recovery process following a workout. Get plenty of sleep in addition to these suggested steps to improve your performance and recovery time. Allow yourself the opportunity to rest whenever you feel the need fully. Create a post-workout recovery routine to safely restore energy levels and rebuild muscles.
