How To Speed Up Post-Workout Recovery

11:39am - June 27, 2013

How To Speed Up Post-Workout Recovery

Nearly every professional fitness trainer will agree that recovery is equally as important the workout. If you don’t give yourself the necessary amount of time to fully recover, your body and muscles won’t be able to keep up. Continuously wearing down your muscle fibers will only weaken your body rather than building it. Thankfully, there are several different things you can do to speed up your post-workout recovery time.

Avoid Heavy Lifting

There’s nothing wrong with a little cardiovascular exercise the day following your strength training routine, but you must avoid lifting heavy objects. A good rule of thumb is to perform your high-intensity strength training every other day. This will give your body time to rest, relax and recover from the excessive strain placed on it the day before. However, you must avoid any heavy lifting during those “rest" days to ensure your body recovers properly.

If you are the type of person who’s always looking to push their physical limits, you should use the day after your strength training workouts to perform cardio exercises. You can go for a jog, jump rope, hope on the elliptical, play tennis, etc. These are all perfectly fine since they don’t involve weights or heavy lifting.

Hydration

Did you know that 3 out of 4 individuals go through their day-to-day lives in a constant state of dehydration? Even mild dehydration can lead to a significant drop in metabolism, slowing down your body’s recovery time. If you are looking for a fast, speedy recovery, you must stay hydrated. A good rule of thumb is to drink at least eight eight-ounce gasses of water each day. With that said, you’ll probably want to drink even more when you are working out.

Staying hydrated will offer a number of benefits, only one of which is a faster post-workout recovery time. Water will also give you more energy, flush out toxins and transport nutrients throughout the body, so make sure you are drinking the recommended daily amount.

Protein Shakes

Supplementing your diet with a protein shake is a simple and effective way to speed up your muscle recovery. Proteins are the human body’s building blocks; increasing your daily consumption of this vital nutrient will result in a speedier post-workout recovery. Try to drink at least 1 full protein shake a day, followed by a glass of water.

Contrary to what some people may believe, protein shakes are actually quite delicious. They come in flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, hazelnut, strawberry and even ice cream. You can mix them with pure water or even milk to create a delicious, ready-to-drink beverage.