We all know that feeling—that post-workout feeling where, after crushing your goals, you feel unstoppable. This is the feeling we all chase in the gym, putting in our efforts and pushing ourselves to go beyond our limits. But to be honest, this comes with it’s always followed by the not-so-pleasant feeling of muscle soreness.
While the pain may make you feel that you have done something wrong, the truth is that this pain is good. Ever heard the saying “No Pain, No Gain”? The pain you feel is a sign that your muscles are working hard and adapting to the training you are putting them through. It would be amazing to recover quickly from this fatigue, minimize the discomfort, and bounce back faster for the next session. But how?
Beyond the traditional methods of stretching and massage, there are incredible muscle recovery techniques that you can incorporate into your routine to optimize workout recovery.
Here are a few muscle recovery techniques to keep you feeling your best:
1. Fuel Your Body for Peak Performance
Nutrition plays a big role in muscle recovery. What we eat directly impacts how well our bodies repair and rebuild muscle tissues. Here is how to fuel up for post-workout recovery:
- Protein Power: Proteins get broken down into amino acids in the body, and these amino acids are the building blocks of everything in our body, especially the muscles. On average, you should aim to consume 0.8 gms of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. The amino acids are used by the muscles to fuel up, diminish soreness, and repair the small tears that happen in the muscles during strength training.
- Carb Power: Carbohydrates are the most misunderstood food group ever (after fats). Carbs restore the levels of glycogen, which is the primary source of energy in our body during workouts. To help bring good carbs to our bodies, it’s best to include whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in your diet.
- Water Power: It’s no secret that water is one of the most essential elements we need to survive and live well. Even post-workout, drinking enough water is a way to provide recovery to sore and tired muscles. Water transports nutrients to all corners of the body and helps flush away waste products. A recommended amount of water to drink if you regularly workout is 8 glasses a day.
2. Prioritise Post-Workout Recovery
The window right after a workout is extremely important to jumpstart the muscle recovery process. Here are a few tips about what to do:
- Post-Workout Snack: Within 30–60 minutes of working out, it is important to have a snack that is a 3:1 split between carbs and protein. A great snack to meet this requirement is yoghurt with berries or a chicken sandwich on whole wheat bread. Do not skip this snack, as the post-workout time is critical, as that is the time when the muscles are more susceptible to absorbing any nutrition sent their way.
- Dynamic Stretching: While static stretching is great for improving your flexibility, through dynamic stretching like lunges or arm circles, you can effectively cool down post-workout. This type of stretching can improve circulation and reduce muscle stiffness.
- Listen to Your Body: It is essential to push yourself beyond your limits if you want to effect muscle growth, but do not ignore signs from your body. If you experience extreme pain, then take a rest day. By utilising the FITCOACH section of the FITPASS app, one can personalise their workout routines and adjust them to bring in optimal recovery.
3. Supercharge Your Recovery Routine with FITPASS
Beyond the regular basic workouts, FITPASS offers many tools in the FITCOACH section to elevate your recovery game:
- Active Recovery: Within the FITCOACH section, one can find many low-intensity workouts like yoga, which help you stay active and effect muscle recovery together. These workouts and sessions
- Post-Workout Recovery: Within the workouts in FITCOACH, you are guided through post-workout stretching and cool-downs, which help to prevent muscle stiffness or injury. Plus, the guided recovery helps muscles recover faster.
- Adaptive and Self-Evolutionary Workouts: The FITCOACH workouts adapt and evolve along with you as you grow in strength and skill. Through this, you can also increase the duration and methods of recovery for your muscles.
4. Bonus muscle recovery technique
- Sleep Recovery: A quality 7-9-hour sleep can work wonders for your muscle recovery. During sleep, your body releases growth hormones, which help in muscle repair and recovery.
Remember, consistency is key! FITCOACH can provide you access to routines that aid recovery, but it is up to you to incorporate these muscle recovery techniques into a regular routine. By being regular in bringing recovery to your muscles, you can be consistent in the gym and conquer your fitness journey.
With FITPASS in your corner and these recovery techniques in your bag, you’ll be able to achieve your peak performance and reach your fitness goals faster. Now go and crush your next workout. You got this!
FAQs
- What are the most effective recovery techniques for post-workout muscle recovery?
- Some of the best muscle recovery techniques are stretching, foam rolling, active recovery like walking, and sleep. These allow your muscles to repair, rest, and recover effectively.
- How does nutrition impact muscle recovery?
- Adequate protein intake can help with muscle recovery and repair. Proteins are broken down into amino acids, which help repair the small tears that happen in muscles during strength training. Also, drinking enough water helps transport nutrients to the muscles.
- Can sleep and stress management significantly affect muscle recovery time?
- Yes. When we sleep for a 7-9-hour period, we release growth hormones in the body, which help muscles grow and recover. Through stress management, we reduce stress. Stress affects our muscles by tensing them up, which leads to pain and fatigue.
