What you do right after your workouts and on your rest days is almost as important as what you do during your workouts. This is because this is when your body will start repairing the damage you did to your body during your sessions. It is also when you will be replenishing some of your energy reserves so you can go back to your training.
Thankfully, the human body is much simpler than many people imagine, and as long as you don’t commit any crucial mistakes, you should be able to recover pretty fast and make consistent improvements. Here are some of the things that you can do to accelerate recovery after workouts.
Use Massage Therapy
One of the best things you can do to accelerate healing after your sessions and reduce soreness on the days following your workout is to use massage therapy. This is because massages can stimulate blood flow in specific areas and deliver nutrients to muscles when they need them the most.
Understandably, not everyone has the time to go to a massage therapist after each session. This is why you should use massage chairs and beds at your gym if you have any or consider investing in a good hand massager. If you’re looking for high-performance hand massagers that look great too, we suggest you check out what Theragun Prime has to offer. If you want to check their products, you can see more at SSENSE. Theragun is known for its build quality and innovative percussive massage technology. Their products are ergonomic, come with multiple attachments, and have advanced features like Bluetooth connectivity that help you have more control over your experience.
Sleep Well
Sleep is one of the most important things for anyone trying to recover from a hard workout. This is when the body ramps up its human growth hormone production and sets muscle repair into overdrive. If you don’t sleep at least six hours every night, you will experience muscle loss, difficulty losing weight, and low energy during workouts.
If your space is not optimized for sleep, we suggest that you invest in good blackout blinds to block any light coming inside the room in the morning. You should also practice the habit of stopping looking at screens at least two hours before going to bed.
This is because they generate what is referred to as “blue light” which can trip your internal clock. If you need entertainment, try to privilege audio content like podcasts or audiobooks. Be careful to not work out too close to bedtime either as the elevated cortisol levels could interrupt your sleep.
Eat Well
What you eat will also be very important. Eating enough protein will support muscle repair. Sugar also plays an essential role in recovery. This is because your muscles use what is known as glycogen as a main energy source and glycogen is derived from glucose.
Your muscles need a good dose of sugar right after a workout as this is when they crave it the most, so simple sugars right after a workout could actually be a good thing. But, for the rest of the day, privilege slow-digesting complex carbs that will not cause an intense insulin spike and won’t transform as readily into fat.
These are all tricks that you can use to boost recovery after workouts. It’s not complicated, but it does require discipline and consistency, so stick to a plan if you can reach your fitness goals.
