Cool Down Key Points
Nurse Susan provides vital information about the five things to do after every workout for maximum results.
Whether you lift weights or live for cardio, nobody wants their hard work in the gym to be wasted. Many people do not realize that, when it comes to seeing results, what they do after their workouts makes just as much a difference as what they do. Make sure you do these five things when you are done exercising to see the best results, and make sure all your effort truly pays off.
Lower Your Heart Rate
Do not rush out to your car or plop down on the couch (if you are exercising at home) the second your workout ends. Instead, take some time to cool down dynamically.
Like a dynamic warm-up, a dynamic cool-down involves continuing to move to reduce your heart rate gradually.
This kind of cool-down helps you avoid muscle soreness. It also encourages healthy blood circulation to ensure your muscles get all the nutrients and oxygen they need to recover more quickly.
Walking and light jogging are popular dynamic cool-down options, but you can also spend 5-10 minutes rolling out your muscles with a foam roller or massage ball to help you recover and heal faster.
Loosen Up Your Muscles
Once you have started to lower your heart rate with a dynamic cool-down, taking a few minutes for some static stretching is also good.
Static stretching before a workout is not always the best idea, as it has been linked to an increased risk of injury. However, it is a great post-workout option to loosen up your muscles and reduce soreness.
You do not need to take a ton of time to stretch, but you should spend 30-60 seconds on each muscle group you targeted during your workout.
If you are unsure where to start with stretching, follow along with a short yoga video. There are many free videos to choose from online, and many are broken down into different categories so you can find one that will help you stretch the muscles you focus on during your training session.
Meditate
In addition to stretching for a few minutes, you should also meditate for a minute or two.
Post-workout meditation has many physical and mental health benefits, including the following:
- Lowers cortisol: Exercise is a great stress reliever, but it also puts a lot of stress on the body. This stress causes the body to produce cortisol, which, in excess, can cause brain fog, compromise your immune system, create additional inflammation, and even store extra abdominal fat - the exact opposite of what you want after exercising.
- Minimise Pain: Meditation has also been shown to improve one's ability to handle one's perception of pain, which can be especially beneficial after a tough workout.
- Faster recovery: Since meditation helps you avoid excess stress and the inflammation that it can cause, your body can devote more resources to the recovery process. When everything functions as it should, you will be less sore and recover more quickly from your workouts, meaning you can return to the gym sooner.
Do not let it intimidate you if you are brand new to meditation. It is OK to start with just one minute. Sit comfortably with your back somewhat straight, close your eyes, and focus on the feeling of your breath leaving and entering your body. One minute will be up before you know it!
Refuel
When you are done exercising, it is essential to properly refuel your body with a meal that consists mainly of fast-digesting carbs and protein.
These nutrients will help with muscle repair. A post-workout meal can also help you avoid overeating later on (as you probably know, exercising often increases your appetite).
Many people use protein shakes as their preferred form of post-workout fuel. Protein shakes are not the worst thing after exercising, but many protein powders are very low in carbohydrates, which your body needs more after exercising.
Experts recommend an approximately 2:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein after a workout. It means you should have about twice as many carbohydrates as protein.
Protein shakes are fine every once in a while, especially if you pair them with fast-digesting carbohydrates like white rice, rice cakes, or fruit. But it is better to focus on getting your protein from whole foods for the most part.
Choose chicken breasts, lean ground beef, or ground turkey whenever you can. In addition to being more easily absorbed, these protein sources also have other essential nutrients and are far less processed than protein powder.
What about fat? Fat is an essential contributor, but having a ton of it after a workout is not ideal. It digests slower than protein and carbohydrates, making it great for satiety but not for getting nutrients to the muscles as quickly as possible.
Rehydrate
During your workout, you probably sweated quite a bit. Make sure you drink plenty of water when you are done exercising to rehydrate and improve your blood circulation (which is necessary for efficient muscle recovery).
In most cases, water is the ideal beverage to consume following a workout unless you sweat heavily and are particularly dehydrated. In that case, try a sports drink meant to help replenish your electrolytes. Try to find one not filled with tons of sugar or artificial sweeteners.
There are also many whole-food options available for replenishing electrolytes. Some of the best things to reach for include:
- Media seeds
- Kale
- Coconut water
- Carrots
- Apples
- Sweet potatoes
If you do not see the best results from your workouts, your post-workout routine could be (at least partially) to blame. Try these five practices after your next workout, and you will be amazed at how much better you feel at the end of the day!
Page Reference
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- NURSE, S. (2018) Cool Down Key Points [WWW] Available from: HomeSite://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article320.htm [Accessed
About the Author
Nurse Susan has always been passionate about helping people heal. After she retired from a lifelong career as a nurse, that passion did not disappear. She loves to use her expertise to write about the best ways to keep you and your family healthy, active, and happy.