At Project Swole we are huge fans of post-workout recovery. Relaxation is a big part of recovery. You need to relax your muscles, ease your stress, and allow your body to heal. Today we would like to present a guest post written by a close friend of ours, who also owns and operates a Spa. Think of it this way, you go to a personal trainer to learn how to exercise, right? So we are bringing you this piece on relaxation, direct from a Spa industry professional. Sounds legit to us!
What You Must Do After the Workout – Relax…
The feeling that a person gets after working out is both exhausting as well as of being pumped. Getting tired is one of the reasons why a person must do something relaxing after an hour-long session of workout. Here are some of the things, which you can try out after a workout session:
1) Try taking a shower
A perfect way to relax after an intense workout routine is to clean yourself up by taking a hot shower. It helps in relaxing the muscles of the body so that they don’t remain tense. When a person is clean after taking a shower, then he or she feels better about himself or herself and gets the type of relaxation that he or she wishes to have. If you are a bath lover, then you can also take bath beads or salt when you take a bath.
Some studies seem to indicate contrast showers as having an even stronger effect on recovery. A contrast shower is the alternating of hot and cold water during the shower, starting with hot, slowly switching to cold, and repeat for a few minute. This strategy works on the whole body as well as targeting specific sore spots.
2) Massage treatment
A person gets enormous benefits by getting a massage treatment post workout. One of the benefits is that it lifts up your mood and relaxes your body. Both of these things are good for getting a rest. Additionally, it helps you get rid of all the muscular issues that you face at the time of the workout. Massage is not only good for the muscles but also removes toxins from the body and increases the flow of blood. It is important for you to take a bath before you get a massage and hydrate yourself post-massage treatment.
3) Meditation
Meditation is one of the best ways to relax after an intense workout. It keeps your mind focused in a positive direction and makes you feel more relaxed and happy. It can be a little hard for the first timers to do meditation on their own but there are several digital files available that can guide you through meditation. If you do meditation regularly, then you will stay both mentally as well as physically fit.
4) Going for a walk
Going for a walk is the perfect way to utilize the time that you get between the exercise routine and the remainder of the night. If you wish to relax your muscles, then you can go for a walk after your workout for relaxing your muscles. Just by going out for a walk of 20 minutes can help you in burning calories. Plus, it allows you to stop the excess release of lactic acid. In addition to this, this helps in preventing muscle cramps and helps you recover quickly. Walking provides enormous benefits and you must try it!
5) Hydrate yourself
It is very important to drink a lot of water to stay healthy and fit. Drinking a lot of water plays a significant role if you are following a fitness regime. When you work out, your body releases water in the form of sweat, therefore it is important for you to ensure that your body gets hydrated. Moreover, consuming a lot of water always keeps your energy levels high. It is advisable for you to keep on sipping water during, before, and after a workout.
Sweating 2 percent of the total body weight can create a negative impact on your performance. These changes are generally reflected when you are doing cardio. If you are able to run a mile in 7 minutes, then your dehydrated body is going to consume a lot of time in achieving that target. Proper hydration helps in lubricating the joints and maintaining the body temperature. It can also help you in getting rid of the problem of constipation. Therefore, consume more and more water.
6) Listen to music
Listening to the turntable record player can also help you to relax your mind. Try listening to soothing, quiet, and peaceful music. When you listen to music after exercising, your mood gets uplifted and you feel happy and relaxed. Rather than listening to loud and fast music that can lead to a headache, it is advisable for you to listen to slow music that can help in reducing the heart rate.
7) Refuel yourself by taking post workout nutrition
It is important for you to give fuel to your body after an intense workout session. There is an anabolic window that remains for a period of 45 minutes after the workout. During this time, the body looks for proteins and carbohydrates, which can help in rebuilding the muscle and replenishing the glycogen store. Therefore, you must give nutrition to your body that it requires.
8) Foot spa
After completing a long workout session, you need to give some rest to your foot. It is advisable for you to add some Epsom salts in the water, in case there are any hot spots or blisters as it helps in drying them up.
9) Take Casein protein
There is a chance that you are ready with the post-workout protein shake but it is very necessary to include casein protein in it as it can provide you a relief from soreness. When casein is consumed, our stomach takes some time to digest it properly. It is very difficult for the digestive enzymes to get an access to it.
Casein gets released into the blood very slowly and it takes around 6 to 7 hours. Therefore, if you want relaxation, then you can consume this protein prior to going to bed as it gives food to your muscles while you are asleep. Additionally, sleep is very significant for the muscle recovery, so it is advisable for you to consume more magnesium during the daytime by eating seeds or beans.
So, these are some of the things that you can do to relax after having an intense workout session. Some of the ways are great for keeping you mentally fit such as meditation, going for a walk, listening to music. On the other hand, there are tips that can help you to relax your muscles such as taking casein protein, drinking more and more water and massage treatment.
Tags: massage, meditation, muscle recovery, post-workout, recovery, relax, relaxation, workout recovery
