Sports Coach Logo Sports Coach Training Principles Fitness Components

            topics

Recover Tips Following a Workout

Kate Corr provides some essential tips to boost your recovery after a workout.

If you are reading this, you are probably like many people: hoping to get better gains after working out. Many people work out for a year and give up because they do not see any improvements. The following ideas are simple changes that you can make to your lifestyle. Simple as they may be, they are highly effective at improving your post-workout recovery. That might involve increasing your muscle mass, reducing pain, or ensuring that you have more energy - all things ideal for someone seriously trying to see improvement. I wish I had known about these tips because I would be a year ahead of where I am now.

What Lifestyle changes are the best for increasing post-workout recovery?

Muscle growth occurs after the workout, not during. Your body needs to be in optimal condition to see the most improvement, and getting into optimal shape requires careful attention. It would be best to have a healthy diet, a good sleep schedule, a healthy mind state (yes, that matters), and get all these different things in check, which can take some serious attention.

Keep your diet in check

Your diet is crucial to developing a healthy workout routine. You probably already know that you need a lot of protein to see any significant improvement in your muscle mass, but protein is not the only important thing your body needs. Regarding your workout schedule, regulating what type of food you eat is essential.

  • Eat carbohydrates before your workout. Carbohydrates supply energy to your body; you will need them to help you meet your maximum potential. It is best not to eat meals any later than two hours before your workout.
  • Do not worry - the carbohydrates will still circulate, especially if you consume slow-digesting complex carbohydrates like those found in potatoes and whole grains.
  • Protein can be consumed anytime but should be consumed regularly. Since digestion is generally a slow process, as long as you have a regular protein intake, you can be sure it will be used well.
  • Another powerful way to boost recovery after intense exercise is to consume turmeric. Studies have shownthat turmeric can reduce the pain linked to (DOMS) by lowering inflammation and removing free radicals in the body.

Consider intermittent anabolic fasting

Anabolic intermittent fasting is a technique that has gained some popularity in recent years. The idea behind anabolic fasting is that you restrict your dietary intake to specific times on alternating days. The idea initially caused a lot of controversies - one would assume that consuming less food would lead to fewer gains. However, anabolic fasting has proven to be quite beneficial in several ways.

They were not allowed to consume anything except calorie-free drinks and amino acid supplements for the rest of the day. Their diets were pretty typical for gym enthusiasts for the rest of the week—high protein, lots of vitamins, minerals, and complex carbs.

The study results showed that people who restrict their dietary intake on days following their workouts showed notable increases in muscle mass and higher levels of fat loss.

Get a proper sleep with the right mattress

Sleeping on a bad mattress can tremendously affect your workout routine. It can notably leave you in intense pain, impeding your workouts and recovery. A woman who writes for Breaking Muscle blamed her aggressive Brazilian Jiujitsu routine for her back pain.

It took her months to realize that most of the pain was caused by sleeping on a mattress that did not suit her body. A bed can cause or rectify several problems.

  • Sleeping on a mattress can misalign or help realign your spine. If you notice problems with your spine, consider switching beds, even just for a night. If things change, consider getting a new mattress.
  • Sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress means tossing and turning all night to get comfortable. This can leave you sore in the mornings and make you prone to developing other injuries.
  • A comfortable mattress ensures sound sleep. If you do not, you will wake up tired, and nobody likes working out when they are tired. These are the reasons you should choose a top mattress brand.

Make sure you stretch

Stretching may sound more critical for yogis and athletes, but it plays a huge role in muscle growth. Ensuring your body is adequately stretched ensures you can get the most out of your exercise routines. For example, you need to stretch the tendons in your arms to do a full curl. You cannot have your ankles tight if you want to do a full squat. Stretching also helps eliminate post-workout soreness and can help you work out longer. You should stretch for at least 20 minutes before any workout.

Do not push too hard

This can be applied in several ways. While it is true that you need to push your body pretty darn hard to see a significant improvement, trying it too hard can be counterproductive.

  • Do not go too far beyond your limit. You need to push your muscles beyond their standard capacity to adapt and repair themselves, resulting in muscle gains. However, if you move them to the point that they are sore for days, you are likely doing more damage than good.
  • Give yourself ample recovery time. You need at least a day between workouts, and it is even better to provide yourself with 2-3 days, especially if they are incredibly intense.

In conclusion

It is good to work out and keep your body in shape, but it is more important to ensure a healthy lifestyle to support a regular workout routine. Ensuring a healthy lifestyle is not complicated, but many people are unaware of some simple techniques.

If you follow the information in this article, your muscle mass will improve, and you will be much less sore after a workout. We have helped you make some positive changes!


Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

  • CORR, K. (2017) Recover Tips for after a Workout [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article261.htm [Accessed

About the Author

Kate Corr is the founder of "Best Mattress Expert", a blog dedicated to helping people choose the best mattress brand.