After performing an exercise routine, fatigue comes. If you are starting to exercise or go to the gym, your muscles probably feel sore or tight. Even sitting or bending over can feel like torture. In the case of experienced athletes, fatigue is always at the end of the day. But learn to live with it. So what can you do to relieve pain after a workout?

The hours after training are crucial for replenishing nutrients and electrolytes. Choosing the right amount of protein and carbohydrates is essential to recover your muscles well and not gain weight. There are many different techniques that you can use to recover quickly. If you get to relieve the muscular pain, you can continue exercising the next day as usual. Here you will learn simple steps to recover after a workout, and your body will thank you.

How the Body Works after Exercising

Sport literally breaks your body, but that is not a bad thing. It is the normal process of adapting to the effort. It does not matter if you are preparing for a half marathon or lifting weights. With effort, you push your body to the limit of its capacity and wait for it to adapt, making you stronger and more resistant.

Muscle fibers suffer micro tears that need reparation, and the glycogen stores that provide energy to move need replenishment. That is why the recovery process after sports is as important as the training itself. Muscles do not grow in the gym but in bed while you sleep.

The three keys to post-sport recovery are rest time, nutrition, and hydration, but there are even more things you can do to recover faster and better.

Decrease the Intensity of Training Progressively

Instead of going back to full throttle and increasing your risk of injury, you should use the last ten minutes of your workout to, for example, go for a relaxed run or easy pedaling on the stationary bike.

The goal is for the heart rate to return to normal, the body to return to its usual operating temperature, and the circulatory and nervous systems to calm down. It is the first step towards regeneration.

Rest

Your body needs time to recover between one training session and the next. If you return to the gym too soon, you do not give your muscles time to regenerate. If you do weights, let 24-72 hours pass before exercising the same muscle again. If you are a runner, besides your weekly rest days, take extra rest or light training after participating in a big race. The rule is one calm day for every 2 km of running.

Recovery Weeks

If you train at your peak performance all the time, you run the risk of overtraining. Fatigue builds on the tiredness of the previous session and increases the risk of injury. It is convenient to take a week to run at a moderate pace every month or month and a half, or you will only lift 50-70% of your maximum weight. This recovery process produces an overcompensation effect, which causes your performance to improve the week after the break.

Hydration

You will not beat your records if you do not consume enough water during your exercise. A 5% dehydration is enough to lose up to 30% of the yield. Drinking water is just as vital to the recovery process. Exercise increases metabolism and also the body’s water and electrolyte necessities. A good measure is to drink an extra liter of water for every 1,000 kcal consumed while doing sports. Besides water, you can also have drinks like the ones you find at https://www.lifeaidbevco.com/, made for the body’s recovery after the workout.

Eat Meals with Proteins

Building materials are needed to rebuild muscle figures. The proteins are those building materials, the essential nutrient that allows your muscles to regenerate. For people who exercise often, protein needs are higher than for sedentary people, reaching between one and two grams per kilogram of body weight per day. On the other hand, both intense strength and resistance exercises deplete muscle glycogen stores, which need to be replenished by eating carbohydrates. Right after the training session, you should eat about 50g of carbohydrates and 30g of protein.

Foods rich in simple carbohydrates, such as bananas, provide the necessary energy before, during, and immediately after training and, at the same time, replenish glycogen stores. A combination of complex carbohydrates, proteins, and good fats is recommended as food after training.

Baths and Massages

It has been proven that immersing yourself in cold water after exertion helps speed recovery. The bravest take ice baths, but cold tap water will suffice. On the other hand, receiving a massage or using one of those foam rollers reduces muscle contractures, improves mobility, and increases blood circulation.

Sleep Enough

Stress is the enemy of any healthy lifestyle. Not only does daily and professional stress has a negative impact on health, but also the tension generated by sport. Therefore, it is crucial that you take a break regularly, for example, by meditating or doing breathing exercises. You should also pay attention to your sleep time. Go to bed early enough to have an optimal seven to eight hours of sleep.

No Pills

Taking anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen to soothe soreness is a common mistake. However, inflammation is part of the natural process by which your body regenerates tissues, providing increased blood flow to the damaged area. The last thing you want is to slow down this process.

Conclusion

It is not only necessary to exercise frequently to progress in your training, but also how much you rest and how well you recover. After intense physical activity, the muscles develop and regenerate. If done right, soreness disappears, and stamina and cardiac output improve. In general, the body becomes more resistant, and injuries occur less frequently.

If you want your body to recover properly, you will have to take rest days, hydrate yourself, eat well, take baths and massages, and avoid anti-inflammatories. By following these steps, you will get a lot out of your workout and keep your body healthy and working at its best.