Rest and recovery are just as important as any workout.
In terms of working out, there are two very important components to consider; the exercise itself, and the rest and recovery period that comes after.
Strenuous workouts improve your body because they cause small injuries in your muscle. These tears in the muscle tissue use protein to grow back bigger and stronger, which is how body builders increase their muscle mass.
As you know however, no injury can heal without rest and recovery. That is why, when you are building mass, or taking on a challenging workout regimen, it’s equally important to hit the gym, and spend time recovering afterwards.
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Your recovery depends largely on how fit you are to begin with, and how hard you work out. That being said, there are a few ways you can speed up this recovery process, especially if you are training for something and don’t want to miss out on too many gym sessions.
Here are seven ways to speed up your recovery period so you can hit the gym again.
Hydrate. Drink water, or coconut water. Stay away from sugary sports drinks.
Eat protein. You can enjoy a protein shake directly after the workout, or snack on nuts between meals.
Rest. Make sure you get enough sleep, and take it easy on strenuous physical activity. If you must exercise, do something low impact like walking, or swimming.
Stretch. Use a foam roller if you can. This will help keep the joints healthy and smooth out the fascia surrounding your growing muscles.
Get a massage. A hydro massage works as well. Pay attention to the muscles you want to work on.
Take an ice bath. This works directly after a workout, to reduce inflammation and soreness.
Listen to your body. If you are super sore, don’t think that going to the gym again is going to make it better.
Let your body take the time it needs to repair the muscles, or you will risk injuring yourself, and putting a much larger kink in your overall workout plan.