3 Best Ways to Recover From Intense Workout

Think putting in an intense session at the gym five times a week will guarantee gains? Let’s be blunt about this. The answer is no. All that hard work you put in at the gym won’t reap maximum rewards unless you give your body dedicated R&R (repair and recovery). This is the ground rule for body sculpting, and while lounging on the sofa instead of burning it in the gym may sound counterproductive - all top athletes do it - because it’s part of the regime. It took a while for the penny to drop within the fitness circle. Internet, TV, and media hyped the show, workouts, and props, but never focused on the recovery part, until now.

Part of R&R is good refueling. It’s as essential as the reps and sets you swear to in training. Your muscle glycogen is replenished by food. So, what you eat when training is important. Endurance athlete and fitness coach Luke Tyburski says, “Muscle tissue is damaged when we exercise and our body’s energy stores become depleted. Refueling post-exercise with your favorite source of protein and complex carbohydrates (ideally non-processed) will help damaged muscles recover while replenishing their energy stores.”

Post Workout Stretching. Dynamic Vs Static

There’s a lot of confusion around pre and post-workout stretching. Dynamic stretching is great for warming up muscles, lengthening them, and lubricating joints. This should be done before your workout. Static stretching is different. It helps to alleviate muscle stiffness. It’s a perfect way to unwind muscle and mind after a hard-hitting session. Make sure not to skip your pre and post-workout stretches. Just doing this will help speed up muscle recovery and you’ll be ready for training sooner.

Use Massage Gun As A Powerful Recovery Tool

Many view massage as a wispy spa treatment for those delicate souls who have too much time to spare. Wrong. It’s one of the most powerful healing tools of all time. And thanks to advanced technology, we can add extra gears to this powerful tool and enjoy added benefits to recover faster. The gun massager has been a godsend for all athletes and fitness enthusiasts. “Massage guns can be used as an alternative to the foam roller as a self-myofascial release tool.”, advises Vinh Pham - founder of Myodetox. The market is saturated with massage guns but there are only a few that we can recommend for athletes and amateurs alike. Of those that you can trust - Vortix Melo Massager and Theragun Pro come out on top. If you’re serious about training and recovery, grab any one of them.

Hit The Sack

Sleep is an essential part of rest and recovery. This is when your body tissues start the process of self-recovery after the exercise-induced stress. An astronomical number of studies highlight the glaring healing benefits of sleep. Legendary athlete Lebron James is a huge proponent of sleep recovery for both body and mind. He highlights a daily routine of 8-hour sleep and daytime naps to stay in top shape. Lack of sleep when working out raises stress and inflammation. London-based health coach Bernadette Dancy explains, “Rest is an imperative part of training adaptation, so there's no point creating a sophisticated training programme only to follow up with inadequate sleep and rest.”