After strenuous exercises, your body will require enough time to recover. However, giving your muscles a break may feel more difficult than adding a mile to a run or maxing out on a lift.
Your goal is to make progress, right?
Here is the truth – building a workout recovery plan may help prevent injuries and forced downtime. A proper recovery routine must begin right after your workout and continue a few days after. To help you do that, the following are effective ways to look at:
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1. Use Beta-Alanine Supplements
Better gains, performance, and endurance are the goals of all athletes. But to achieve these goals, there are mixed reactions about which supplements may help.
One supplement gaining more popularity among athletes is beta-alanine. This supplement is not only proven to improve endurance, performance, and muscle strength. It also helps in muscle recovery. You can get more beta-alanine information here.
2. Get Quality Sleep
Getting enough rest is an effective way to recover from any degree or form of physical exertion. Sleep helps your body to repair muscle tissues. Hormones, like testosterone and human growth hormone, increase as you sleep, enabling you to perform better the following day. Sleeping for eight hours every night allows your body to recover faster and minimize the risks of getting an injury.
In order to improve the quality of sleep, take time to relax every evening as you go to bed. Sticking to a regular schedule can help to avoid being too tired before you get to bed. You may also fall asleep faster by switching off your phone and other gadgets.
3. Hydrate Properly
Drinking enough water is important for your post-workout recovery and overall health. Doctors recommend aiming for around seven to eight glasses of water per day. And for athletes like you, who sweats and exercises a lot, take more than two liters of water to replace the lost water and electrolytes.
These electrolytes may include minerals such as calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium. All these minerals are helpful in your nervous system and may get exhausted during the contraction of muscles.
You may get more electrolytes for muscle recovery by sticking to healthy eating habits, like incorporating enough fruits & vegetables. Taking a glass of coconut water, a fruit smoothie, or milk after exercising can also help your recovery and replace the lost electrolyte.
4. Consider a Body Massage
Foam rolling can feel great because it is a body massage. Using foam rollers can help break up muscle adhesions, which may inhibit your workout performance and cause soreness. Similarly, a massage gun may help with your body massage.
A tennis ball or lacrosse may do the trick if you don’t have either of these. Follow the product’s instructions, and work with a physical therapist or personal trainer if you use the DIY method.
To Wrap-Up!
Not letting your muscles and body completely recover post-workout will put you at great risk of injury. Muscle injuries may range from complete to mild tears. So whether you exercise to stay fit or compete in athletics, maximize muscle recovery through a good night’s sleep and a healthy diet.