Simple ways to aid recovery after exercise
Resistance training causes muscle fibers in your body to tear, inflaming the area and causing muscle soreness. The process of tearing your muscles builds them up and helps with the building of muscle mass, but the delayed onset muscle soreness, also commonly known in the fitness industry as DOMS, can leave your arms and legs feeling pretty battered. Lets learn the proper ways to recovery after exercise.
It’s extremely normal to suffer from muscle soreness after trying new exercises or increasing the intensity and weights in your workout. In most situations, you’ll probably find that DOMS occurs 1 – 2 days after the workout, and can last up to 5 days.
Recovering correctly after training
During the process of building muscle, you are tearing them, its the recovery process that builds muscle mass. Your post workout routine is critical to get the proper muscle rest to allow your body to replenish energy and rebuild damaged muscle tissue. This is why rest days are so important, giving your body time to repair itself.
There are some straightforward ways to aid recovery, which will leave your muscles feeling great and reduce the likelihood of muscle soreness.
Apply ice or take a cold bath
If you were to experience an immense amount of pain, you might consider going the extra mile and sitting in an ice bath. However, a simple alternative is to pop an ice pack on the affected area. The cold compression should reduce inflammation and relieve pain. The method of taking cold baths is also known as cold water immersion and is not for the faint-hearted!
Get more sleep
This one seems a bit too simple to be true. A lack of sleep could make you more prone to injury if you are pushing your body too far, causing your muscles to fatigue. Being overtired can also make muscle pain feel worse in general. Turn off the alarm clock and treat yourself to a weekend lie-in!
Stretch it out
Most people will stretch after a workout, but it is particularly useful to stretch on your rest days. Stretching can help loosen any tightness in the muscle and help ease the effects of muscle soreness before the DOMS occurs!
Use recovery tools
Foam rolling can be an effective muscle recovery technique.
Foam rollers work by breaking up knots and sore spots in the muscle by providing myofascial release. This is where pressure is applied to tight spots to stimulate the stretch reflex in muscles and increase blood flow. Without getting lost in science, it speeds up muscle recovery by softening tissue and easing inflammation. You could even try a massage gun to get deeper into the muscle.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
Make sure you keep your muscles well hydrated by drinking plenty of water before, during, and after your workout. Our bodies are made up of up to 60% water, which can rapidly deplete when you are doing a particularly grueling workout. By keeping well hydrated, you are helping your body to heal and recover quicker.