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Ways To Speed Up Recovery After A Workout

Dealing with the burn during a workout is one thing, but the burn that lingers throughout the next day can be a lot harder to deal with. You are probably searching for new ways to speed up the recovery process. A few simple ideas are massages, ice baths, and muscle creams. Here are a few other ideas you should consider if you want to speed up recovery.

Post-Workout Protein Snacks And High Protein Meals

Proteins are the basic building blocks of your muscles. They readily help build and repair muscle tissue. However, unlike some other calories, protein cannot be stored safely in the body for a later time. It works shortly after being consumed and is then rendered useless. If you want to enjoy the benefits of protein based foods, then you have to make immediate use of them.

One of the ways in which you can make use of them is shortly after your workout. A protein-based snack will kickstart the recovery process fairly early. Your end-of-the-day meal, as well as your next day's breakfast, should be loaded with protein. This will provide the biggest boost to the recovery process.

Stretching

Many people don't realize that stretching for 20 minutes after a workout can help to get rid of the muscular tension and you won't feel so sore later on. This also helps with your lifting overall as it makes you more pliable and able to go deeper into your squats. There are other added benefits such as, reducing cholesterol and reversing atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

Get Enough Sleep

Sleeping is necessary for the body to restore itself. Only during sleep is growth hormone secreted at its peak. This is also when the tissues heal and the muscles rebuild. The lack of sleep can result in a mental fatigue which takes away the drive to even workout to begin with. This fatigue can also affect your balance and control and could cause you to injure your back or another part of your body from poor technique.

New Spices In Your Meals

Protein is important, but what else can you add to your meals to help speed up the recovery process? There are a few different herbs and spices you should consider adding due to their anti-inflammatory capabilities. They work similarly to drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen, but without the potentially negative impact on muscle building that those drugs have.

Two spices to look for are ginger and turmeric. Turmeric is highly-regarded for its numerous health benefits. Its anti-inflammatory effect being near the top of that list. The same can be said for ginger as well.

Ginger does have a stronger taste than turmeric so you may feel more comfortable using turmeric if ginger is too much. Turmeric has a very mild taste. You can find it available at most grocery stories. It is also the main ingredient in curry powder if you like Indian food.

Avoid The Bar

This is not something you should do so much as something you should not do. It is not uncommon for people to finish a tough workout and then stop by the bar for a few drinks before heading home. Even if the alcohol is at home, the point is not the location, but rather what you are drinking.

Alcohol dehydrates the body. Dehydration puts a serious damper on recovery. As a matter of fact, it is important to drink as much water as possible after a workout to replenish the body's fluids and speed up recovery. Alcohol is going to have the exact opposite effect. Save visiting the bar for the days where you are not working out.

Proven Recovery Boosters

All of the methods listed above are known to boost the recovery process. They are also incredibly easy to implement every day you are going to work out. Just the avoid the alcohol, drink plenty of water, stretch, get enough sleep and eat high-protein meals making sure that you season them with a little turmeric or ginger.

Jeff Elrod loves everything about family, sports and health and has developed a website to help families focus on staying active together. To learn more, visit FamilySportHealth.com.

If you have any questions or want to make suggestions please feel free to contact us by e-mail

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Disclaimer: This information is for entertainment purposes only. We strongly recommend that you consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Bodybuildingco.com is not a licensed medical care provider. The reader should understand that participating in any exercise program can result in physical injury and agrees to do so at his own risk. The findings and opinions of authors expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily state or reflect those of Bodybuildingco.com.