Post-Workout Recovery Tips Trainers Swear by for Strong, Pain-Free Muscles

Ask any fitness expert or personal trainer and they will tell you recovery is just as important as the actual training session. Yet often we overlook the importance to focus solely on our strength training or cardio program. The steps we take to properly recover from an intensive training session ensure our body functions to the best of its ability and we maintain our energy levels for the next session.

In fact, post-exercise recovery routines have a huge impact on sports performance and overall fitness, allowing us to train better and more effectively. A solid, focused post-exercise plan is key to preventing fatigue, muscle soreness, and even injuries. Next time you enter the gym make sure you remember the 3 R’s of recovery; replenish, rest, and recover.

What is recovery and why is it essential?

Recovery is a process that returns the body to homeostasis through rest, rehydration, and restoration. According to science, “homeostasis is a state of balance within the body that occurs when the variables in a system (e.g., pH, temperature) are regulated to keep internal conditions stable and relatively constant” (Pocari et al. 2015). When we stress our body through exercise we challenge its ability to maintain this state.

This is when recovery comes in. It assists the necessary muscle and tissue to repair themselves and be stronger and healthier. Having a series of recovery tips up your sleeve is essential for being healthy and maintaining energy levels so here are some tried-and-tested tips to incorporate into your fitness routine.

Take a cold bath

Cold baths are a trainer’s best-kept secret for reducing soreness and inflammation. Scary as it may sound, many professional athletes swear by taking super cold full-body plunges after a strenuous workout. Science has shown that cold water immersion may be helpful for reducing muscle inflammation after resistance training. This then creates a rapid calming effect throughout the body. The cold water constricts blood vessels, which slows down blood flow thus relieving soreness and aches we can experience after a tough workout or an intense game.

Sleep and then, sleep more

There is plenty of scientific research that recognizes the importance of sleep as a body-restoring mechanism. In fact, sleep and recovery depend on a) basal sleep (the amount of sleep the body needs every night) and b) sleep debt (the accumulation of sleep deficit when basal sleep is deprived). When we deny ourselves sleep, rising stress and subsequent cortisol accumulation will make post-workout recovery difficult and threaten our overall health. Sleep also plays a significant part in our maintaining our metabolism and immune function - so always allow yourself your much-needed sleep after an intensive workout.

Replenish electrolytes

When we sweat from a workout we lose electrolytes, the essential minerals that regulate muscle contraction and regulate fluids. Any lack of these often leads to injuries, muscle cramps, and a generally feeling unwell that might include headaches and dizziness. Therefore it's essential to replenish any fluid lost during exercise by drinking water to keep you hydrated during and after a workout.

Water influences every metabolic function of the body, so making sure to not deprive our body of fluids is a surefire method to feel better faster after a long session at the gym. Those who train with high-intensity exercise such as HIIT or high-resistance weight lifting could additionally benefit from sipping isotonic electrolyte-balanced drinks throughout the session.

Try active recovery

Scientists agree that active recovery is the best way to transition from a tough workout to your everyday activities. This type of recovery makes use of anaerobic activity to assist the body in cooling down faster and more efficiently. Active recovery accelerates the removal of lactate from muscles while stimulating blood flow that initiates muscle healing. One study found that active recovery after repeated intensive exercise can result in a faster return to homeostasis compared to passive recoveries that don’t make use of anaerobic movements (Ahmaidi et al. 1996).

While it's easy to get carried away with the feel-good sensations you get from a workout, do make sure you find the time to actively recover by using a high-quality NMES kit such as the diPulse SMART RECOVERY KIT. In fact, NMES had been proven to minimize recovery downtime through targeted muscle activation and focused muscle revival. The gel electrodes included in the kit enable user flexibility in focusing stimulation or sensory programs exactly where they’re needed on every occasion. Who says you can't recover actively when relaxing or while watching TV?