This weekend was physically rough. I got in 5 hours of yoga meets martial arts on Saturday and made the terrible mistake of not really taking care of my body post-workout. So, now that I’m moaning and groaning as a result of physical discomfort, I took it upon myself to do a little research. What should I have done differently in order to avoid the severe soreness and muscle fatigue? What should you be doing post-workout at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym?
- Hydrate! After you workout at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym, it’s super important (especially as summer approaches) to replace the fluids you lost. Lack of hydration will delay your recovery process. Stay on top of it and hydrate with water or my preference, coconut water, to reimburse your body with all those lost electrolytes.
- Refuel. Within 60 minutes post-workout you need to nourish your body. Eat up on a healthy source of protein or complex carbs to energize and aid the recovery process.
- Relax and restore. After you do something intensely physical, it’s important to grant your body a break. Take a day off to take it easy with some gentle stretching and/or restorative yoga. Do yourself a favor and check out our Greenville yoga classes.
- Book a massage. Get some deep tissue stimulation going to enhance circulation and relaxation. I think I might be booking one of these today to make up for my lack of recovery efforts.
- Ice. Take an ice bath or place ice packs on areas of soreness. This should happen within 24 hours of your workout for it to be most effective.
- Get some shut-eye. Magical things happen when you get good quality Zzz’s. As you sleep, your body produces Growth Hormone (GH) which induces tissue growth and repair. Sleep is definitely not overrated. It’s completely necessary, especially after high intensity physical exercise.
- Snooze, don’t booze. Drinking post-workout can actually impair your body’s ability to recover quickly and effectively. I know it’s tempting. Nothin’ like a cold beer to top off a crazy, sweaty workout, right? Avoid the temptation.
- Roll out. Get a foam roller to release a lot of the soreness that accompanies an intense workout. Roll it out to remove knots and prevent body imbalances from surfacing.
Play it safe post-workout at the Pivotal Fitness Greenville gym. Recover mindfully or you may be sorry.