Replenish, Relieve, Relax: 3 Essential Post-Workout Recovery Tips

21 Apr 2017

Post-workout recovery is a strengthening process for your muscles and body, equally important as training itself. While it should incorporate more than brief stretching, a post-workout procedure doesn’t have to follow any hardcore guidelines.

Keeping up with the ratios, timings, and intervals can be intimidating and discouraging; you may be better off with a relaxed recovery routine to help you stick to your workout schedule in the long run. Try these moderate yet effective post-exercise tips: Replenish, Relieve, Relax.

Replenish

Essential nutrients are lost through perspiration during exercise. After working out, your body is in a finer, rebuilding state – prime time to detox and rejuvenate with wholesome foods.

Acid Detox

An exercising body accumulates lactic acid as a result of being oxygen-depleted – flush that out first. Not only is acid reflux uncomfortable, too much acid can also breed infections and diseases. Follow these tips for an effective acid detox.

• Drink Filtered Tap Water
Most branded bottled water and sports drinks are fairly acidic. Filtered tap water, on the other hand, can help reduce acid. Make your own alkaline sports drink with filtered tap water and a natural, low-sugar sports drink-mix like Vitalyte to detox and refuel with essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

• Increase your produce intake
Dark leafy greens, apples, bananas, oranges, and almonds are highly alkalizing and make nutritious and portable snacks. Munch on them frequently to neutralize your body environment and alleviate acid reflux symptoms.

Opt for a wholesome light meal

Skip the pizza, burgers, and buffet; the body soaks up more nutrients from easy-to-digest, wholesome foods.

Dried fruits such as dates, apricots, and raisins have high amounts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to combat free radicals. For carbs and protein, try super grains like quinoa or couscous and nutrient-rich legumes to maximize absorption and speed up muscle fortification without protein overload.

Relieve

Body soreness after prolonged exercising can feel unbearable. Here are some quick ways to lessen the pain.

Heat Compression and Ice Packs

For mild and moderate soreness, apply a heated towel or heating pad to relax your muscles and increase blood flow. Ice helps to reduce swelling and can be used in the case of mild muscle and tissue inflammation. If the pain is intense and persistent, medical attention may be required.

Stretching and Yoga

Light stretching helps alleviate muscle tension in the thighs, calves, and hamstrings – give them a go. If you are into yoga, here are eight effective yoga-inspired poses to ease the soreness.

Alternatively, visit the spa for a deep muscle therapy as a post-workout treat.

Relax

Relaxation is an important part of workout recovery and is conducive to continuing your exercising routine. De-stress programs also lead to increased energy and less fat retainment – a win-win for the mind and body.

After an intense workout, spend some time outside to ease mental fatigue. Singing also helps to release those feel-good hormones. Ways to relax are varied and plenty. Choose something that works for you.

Post-workout recovery: Replenish, Relieve, Relax

Everyone is built differently – finding the right post-training routine will help you build a lasting relationship with your body. Try out these tips after your next workout and let us know how they work!

Be well,
Andrew

Andrew Hoffman

Andrew Hoffman is a freelance writer and journalist from Los Angeles, CA, who has written on behalf of a range of clients including the Livestrong Network and Demand Media. In addition to writing about a range of topics, he enjoys playing basketball and cooking in his spare time.