Proper recovery after exercise aids proper muscle building. But how do you recover quickly? We tell you.
As more and more people become aware of the benefits of strength training for fitter, stronger muscles and bones, they are also experimenting with different high intensity workouts for more sculpted bodies. But whatever the form of exercise that you do – whether functional training or cardio – your body needs to recover from the workout to be able to function properly.
Proper recovery is essential for the right restoration of muscles and tissues during the workout. If the muscles have not adequately recovered and you work them over again, then they become susceptible to tears and injury. At the very least, you will experience soreness and pain in certain muscles.
Hence, recovery post-exercise is as important as warmup pre-exercise. And the faster the body recovers, the better it performs during the next bout of training.
From taking the best protein supplement to eating within a certain window of time after finishing the workout, here are some ways to recover quickly after your session:
* Sip on a protein supplement. Heavy exercise causes muscle breakdown at a micro level. The muscles typically take anywhere between 24 hours to 48 hours to rebuild themselves, depending on the intensity of the exercise. They require protein to rebuild themselves, and this dose of protein must be adequate to ensure proper repair and lack of injury. The best way to recover from the fatigue of a heavy workout is to sip on the best protein supplement mixed with water or milk, as required. Look for nitric whey protein supplements that aid faster muscle recovery and prevent loss.
* Stretch your entire body gently for 5 to 10 minutes. Your muscles are overworked, but gentle stretching right after exercise can actually aid the recovery process. Too often, people make the mistake of becoming completely inactive after the exercise – this causes the tired muscles to seize up and spasm. Stretching them restores blood circulation and aids repair. You can try yoga asanas to stretch the body.
* Take an alternate temperature shower. This is a recovery method that athletes and professional wrestlers swear by: taking a bath with alternating hot and cold temperatures is effective in removing soreness and muscle pain. Showering for two minutes in hot water, then for 30 seconds in cold water – do this for at least 10 minutes after the workout – causes the blood vessels to alternately dilate and constrict. This helps faster removal of waste and prevents inflammation around the muscles.
* Eat within an hour of finishing the workout. Your body is starved of nutrients after a rigorous workout. The body loses minerals and electrolytes via sweat, and any food you have consumed before the exercise is rapidly digested and used up to generate energy. Thus, you must have a protein- and carbohydrate-rich meal right after your workout. Make sure that you eat within an hour of finishing the exercise, and have a nitric whey protein drink during the meal if you haven’t had it before.