7 Tips for Increased Muscle Recovery After a Workout

Everybody needs to do regular exercise to keep their bodies healthy and fit. This way, they can improve their overall health and well-being, as well as allow themselves to feel and look good. While exercising provides plenty of benefits to one’s body, it might not be delightful for everyone, especially if they cause muscle pain the day after. This is usually due to working out for the first time or you’ve done an intense workout.  

As you work out, pain naturally comes after it. While it might not be everyone’s favorite, it clearly indicates that your workout routine is working as your muscles are getting sore. However, it doesn’t always mean that you must suffer from pain every time you hit the gym.

Luckily, with a little routine and practice, you can help your muscles to recover faster which permits you to have a much more enjoyable after-workout session. Moreover, listed below are some tips for increased muscle recovery after a workout: 

1. Consider Light Therapy 

Light therapy has been getting more popular in today’s medical world. Depending on which type of light you use, you can use it to kill cancerous cells and help improve energy’s health through regeneration and healing. Fortunately, you can even use light therapy to improve muscle recovery, allowing you to have a smooth healing session and making your workout routines a lot more bearable. 

Light therapy allows your cells to fully absorb its red light wavelengths which help them produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – the cell’s energy source. This allows the cells in your body to work better in finishing tasks, such as healing and increased muscle recovery. With that, going for light therapy after your workout could help to improve your muscle recovery process. 

2. Drink Plenty Of Water 

As you work out, you can expect yourself to get thirsty and crave a cold drink. Not only that they help to make you feel good, but they’re actually what your body needs. 

During your routine, you’re releasing plenty of water outside your body, which could risk you getting dehydrated, which is associated with helping your body in muscle recovery and improving its performance. To prevent any of those from happening, you should always keep your body hydrated.  

Ideally, you should drink plenty of water during your workout routine and a gulp of a full bottle at the end. This way, you can provide your body with plenty of hydration that could help to keep your body well-fueled and allow it to heal your body properly. Alternatively, drinking sports drinks with electrolytes could also be helpful if you’re looking for a hint of flavor and added nutrients.  

3. Get A Good Amount Of Sleep 

Sleep is extremely important for everything that you do. Yet if you’ve been in the gym for the day, you should prioritize getting a good amount of sleep. Even if it makes you feel good and well-rested, sleep can actually help to increase muscle recovery, allowing your body to feel better as you wake up. 

During your sleep, every cell in your body focuses on making yourself feel better and healing everything there’s to heal. This way, you can let your body completely heal and free yourself from any possible muscle pains. Ideally, you should get a full night of sleep for maximum effect.  

4. Increase Protein Intake 

Protein is extremely helpful to help repair your muscles after every workout routine. As you exercise, you damage the protein that makes up your muscle fibers. 

With protein, you can allow for a quicker recovery, thus producing less pain in your body after each routine. With that, it’s ideal to consume adequate amounts of clean protein right after you work out. You can drink a protein shake or eat a post-workout meal or snack that’s high in fiber.  

Alternatively, you can always try to focus on your protein intake all throughout the day. If you’re comfortable with drinking supplements, you should increase your protein intake by incorporating plant-based protein supplements into your diet. This includes hemp protein, pea and rice protein, and chia seed protein, to name a few.  

5. Get A Massage 

After your most intense workout routine, you might want to consider getting a massage. Particularly, a sports massage can help to relieve any anticipated muscle tension and prevent them from taking over your body. This will allow for a much more comfortable recovery as they can help reduce the pain or even prevent it from coming. Moreover, getting a massage after a workout can help put you in a relaxing mood. 

A sports massage can help to improve circulation and nutrition to your damaged cells and help to speed up their recovery. It’ll be like manipulating your body into healing faster, thus, making your body feel better.  

6. Don’t Forget To Stretch 

Stretching your body is important before and after your workout. Stretching helps to prepare and relax your muscles and prevent your body from getting cramps, which can result in discomfort or a possible injury. With that, you should stretch your body before and after your workout.  

In most cases, people tend to forget to do cool-down stretches, especially since they’re still at the peak of their endurance. Nevertheless, stretching for at least five helps your body return to its normal condition and free itself from the workout state which can delay muscle recovery. 

7. Create A Good Training Program 

Of course, a great way to help your body recover faster during a workout routine is by creating a good training program. This way, you can give enough time for your body to rest and avoid putting pressure on a single area continuously, which can be quite painful and uncomfortable. With that, you should strategize how your workout routine would flow. 

As you set a training program, try to focus on a single part of your body for each day. This way, you don’t have to cause too much pressure on your entire body but allow one section to feel the pain. You should also give your body enough time to rest as it needs it for better recovery.  

Takeaway  

After every workout, you can expect your body to feel sore and painful as your muscles are pumping their way up. While it might be a bit uncomfortable, pain indicates that your workout routine is working. 

To help speed up the muscle recovery process, you should consider increasing your water and protein intake and taking some services, such as light therapy and massage. At the end of the day, ensure that you don’t push yourself too hard and allow your body to enjoy the benefits of what a good workout routine offers.