Post Workout Recovery Methods
I am a huge fan of efficiency when it comes to working out. Whether I have 30 minutes or two hours to focus on me, I want to get the most of out my efforts. We often focus too much on our fitness programs that we forget that they way we recover will also have a huge impact on our results. Here are nine ways to get EVEN MORE out of your fitness regimen with recovery.
11 ways to avoid injury & recover after a workout
Proper Warm up & Cool Down: Warm ups are essential to keeping you free from injury and becoming mindful of your body. A well-done cool down will actually leave you feeling really at ease and energized, even after the toughest workout ever.
Yoga/stretching: I personally love love to use yoga as a warm up and post workout cool down. It is just a really efficient system to bring your mind, body and soul in harmony before and after we workout. If you need a flow to get you moving, check out this yoga flow for runners. Outside of fitness, it is a great grounding way to bring movement and meditation into your life.
Get proper rest & recovery time: Sleeping is key. Our bodies work to repair torn muscle fibers when we are at rest. When we are awake our bodies cannot do this as efficiently.
Form, form, form!: Anyone who has worked with me in a private session knows I am a bit of a form stickler. Moving in proper alignment keeps our nervous system happy. Keeping our nervous system happy helps us to exercise more efficiently as well as avoid injury by moving the way our bodies are designed to.
Active recovery: This is a great one especially for those of you who compete. Finding something that compliments your training that you can do at a low intensity is a great way to actively release built up tension. Things such as spinning or using the elliptical at a low intensity can actually help re-energize tissues of a very active person.
Kinesiology Tapping: Kinesiology tapping can promote healthy movement by taping movement patterns. An awesome perk to the tape is that it actually helps to make room for fresh blood to circulate in a particular area which means faster recovery.
Compression clothing: Similar to the above recommendation of kinesiology tapping, compression clothing can help promote blood flow and circulation.
Foam Roller: This is another really good thing to use as a part of your warm up and cool down routines. Foam rolling helps release tension and increase mobility.
Diet: You are what you eat. If you put things in your body that you are toxic to, havoc will be created on your digestive system and toxic waste will be created in our bodies. On the other hand when we eat in harmony with what works for our specific bodies, our energy is efficiently used in digestion and repairing our bodies. Check out these tips for eating your way to a healthier you.
Hydration: When we work out, we release lactic acid which causes inflammation. Our body needs to get rid of this toxin and refuel. Staying hydrated is a really great way of doing this.
Epsom Salts bath (Do I really need to give you excuse to take a bath?): You know how the go-to in the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” was Windex… that is basically how I feel about Epsom salts. Epsom salts is great at-
Helping your body getting rid of toxins (which helps reduce inflammation)
Improving functionality of muscles and nerves
Alleviating muscle pain and cramps.
If you want to read up on a few more benefits of Epsom salts, check out this great article. YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN THESE 8 WAYS TO NATURALLY BOOST YOUR ENERGY
