Post Gym Relaxation Techniques
The number of gym users has steadily grown over the last few years. There is a new fitness boom and people are putting in a lot of time and effort into their gym work. Though its great to see many taking their health more seriously, new or increased intensity of exercise does put strain on your body. With the new stress on the body, particularly on your muscles. It pays to ensure you know how to relieve soreness, relax post workout and understand the body’s need for recovery, so that you can keep on going and meet your fitness objectives injury free. We’ve compiled a list of great tips to help speed up your recovery time after visiting the gym
Stretching
This is often neglected but should be a key part of anyone’s workout. It is really important for promoting recovery and decreasing muscle stiffness which can set in pretty quickly post workout. By including stretches in your workout you will also likely increase your range of movement and be able to target more muscle fibers during your other training. There is also a huge amount of evidence that suggests stretching can reduce the levels of lactic acid in your muscle that has built up throughout your workout by helping open up trapped pockets of acid build up.
Make A Smoothie
Smoothies are a great way of getting nutrition back in to your body quickly post workout without having to eat a heavy meal which many people wouldn’t want to have after a heavy workout session. Smoothies can be made to your taste. When using a variety of fruits and vegetables you’ll be quickly replenishing vitamins and nutrients that need to be replaced after exercise. It’s also very common to add top recovery nutrient protein to post workout smoothies, providing the body with what it needs to re-build damaged muscle tissue and relieve soreness sooner.
This is a great way to relax your muscles following a good workout. A massage can reach muscle fibers that are difficult to reach through stretching alone. Try our Instashiatsu+ massager, this versatile Shiatsu massager can be used on whatever area you need, so whether your legs, back or arms have been working hard this excellent product can bring relief to your tired or achy muscles. The heat element will also help you feel relief deep in your muscle tissue and aid muscle relaxation.
Bath, Sauna and Steam Room Time
Using these facilities will increase your body temperature. By doing this you will also increase your blood circulation. Improved circulation means that more oxygen will be carried to your recovering muscles and they will heal more efficiently and displace built up lactic acid deposits. Warm blood in your muscles will also help get rid of toxins or damaged tissue. It is also deeply relaxing and can have positive effects on your skin & of course, your mind.
Eat A Light Snack
After working out, the body is desperate for nutrition. Carbohydrates and proteins are what your body needs because the body uses these up during your work out. Protein shakes and bars are typically designed to have a balanced protein to carbohydrate ration which is perfect for recovery. Bananas are another great post gym snack because it features water and carbohydrates that will help you re-hydrate.
Green Tea
This is a great dietary change that will really help your muscle recovery and it’s incredibly easy to add a cup of green tea to your daily routine. Green tea contains a number of antioxidants that help to eliminate toxins which have harmful effects on your body. If you do this, you reduce the damage to your muscle tissue and can return to the gym sooner.