Regular exercise is never beneficial unless your body is primed for physical activity before you start each new workout session.
What you do after every training session has a big impact on how much you gain from exercising.
In fact, most people can't get the best from working out simply because they do not have a recovery plan in place.
A recovery plan allows your body to overcome fatigue that is caused by working out.
Recovery is essential for muscle and tissue repair and also strength-building.
This is all the more important when you are into weight training.
Your muscles may need up to 48 hours of rest so that tissue grows and you can enjoy some positive results.
Recovery is also necessary because it allows you to train harder for longer.
You can try the following methods to recover quickly after exercise.
1.
Time heals everything, even your tired muscles! So you should rest after an intense workout.
Your body has the capacity to restore its normal functions when you allow it the time to do so.
So, if you have the luxury, do nothing for a while! And if you don't, then try not to exert yourself too much with whatever work you do after exercise.
2.
If remaining inactive doesn't appeal much, you can try gentle stretching.
It's an activity you can do after a tough workout and expedite muscular recovery.
3.
How you end your workouts can also influence your overall recovery a lot.
Just as you start with warm ups, you can end every training session by cooling down.
'Cooling down' requires you to reduce the intensity of your activities, gradually, before you stop exercising completely.
This helps in preventing accumulation of lactic acid in your muscles and also reducing stiffness.
4.
After you have used up all your energy by exercising, you need to restore your energy reserves so that your body can get ready for the next challenge.
This is more essential when you are into strength training or muscle building.
So, eat well and on time.
Ideally you should have a meal comprising of proteins and carbohydrates, within an hour of finishing your workout.
5.
You also lose a lot of fluids in course of exercising, mainly via sweat.
So you should keep sipping water during exercise or perhaps replenish your system with fluids right after you finish up.
Water also supports your metabolic system and the transfer of nutrients in your body.
This, in turn, helps almost every other bodily function.
6.
If possible have a massage.
Massages feel really good and can also improve blood circulation, thus helping you relax.
7.
In case you can't have a massage, try alternating hot and cold showers.
This can help you in overcoming muscle soreness and allow you to freshen up faster.
Alternating hot and cold showers work by repeatedly constricting and expanding blood vessels thus flushing out tissue-wastes.
You can alternate 2 minutes of hot showers with 30 seconds of cold showers, for best results.
Try to consult a fitness trainer to know how you can get the best out of these methods of recovery after exercise.
After all, they are experts and expert advice can help you attain your fitness goals quickly and safely!