You’ve put in the work. Your efforts in discipline and consistency have brought you to this point, and now is the time to make the next step: recovery. Although the workout itself is definitely important, the overall effectiveness of it is going to rely upon your recovery. If you fail to recover post workout, then all of that effort would be just a waste of time and energy (need more of an explanation? Check out this old post I made way back!). So, if you’re looking for a primer on post-exercise recovery, let today’s post be your go-to guide! Take a look at the following recommendations and start implementing them into your routine.

Focus on Flexibility and Mobility

After a workout, your muscles have warmed up and received plenty of blood flow and therefore primed for deeper flexibilityand mobilitywork.

According to Dr. Bryant Walrod, MD, a family and sports physician from Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, “Flexibility is the amount of stretch that a given muscle allows. If a muscle doesn’t have the ability to sufficiently relax and stretch, it will change your body’s biomechanics, potentially leading to strain or stress on other parts of the body.” [1] Dr. Adam Rivadeneyra, MD, sports medicine physician from the Hoag Orthopedic Specialty Institute in Orange County, California, further explains that mobility is, “…the ability for joints (where two or more bones meet) to move through their full and healthy range of motion without being restricted by other tissues like ligaments, tendons, or muscles. When mobility becomes limited because muscles are too tight, the ability to safely perform everyday tasks as well as exercises ranging from running to strength training diminishes.” [1]

Obviously, both of these are important for increasing range of motion, releasing any tightness or soreness in the muscles, and cutting back on any future risk of injury. Thus, instead of choosing one over the other, get the best of both worlds by doing both.

Here’s what the ZGYM has to offer:

Mobility Drills
Power Yoga
MOB Therapy
Stretch & Tone

I suggest you do these on top of the Warm Up and Cool Downs that are programmed into your ZGYM workouts, as they allow you more time to focus on improving flexibility and mobility.

Experiment with Extreme Temperatures

Don’t let the title mislead you- I do not mean you go about burning yourself or inducing hypothermia. With a good measure of common sense, you can experiment with different temperatures during your recovery from exercise. What does that look like? Well, let’s use two popular modalities: sauna (heat) therapy, and either (cold) showers or Cryotherapy.
With the former, you’re raising body temperature and encouraging circulation all throughout your body, which may help to address sore, aching muscles and joints. Preliminary research even theorizes that it can relieve delayed onset muscle soreness, which is that all-too-dreaded sudden soreness happening nearly a day after working out. [2] There’s also the fact that sauna therapy is very relaxing and therefore can help to relieve both internal and external stress that could blunt a full recovery.
Going in the opposite direction, cold showers or Cryotherapy, you experience very similar circulatory effects. However, your immune system receives a boost, which can help with general well-being. If you don’t have access to a (controversial) Cryo-chamber, there’s also ice baths and cold showers. The sudden shock in temperature still reduces inflammation while at the same time forcing your muscles to relax and initiate the recovery process.
As far as which one is the better of the two, that’s up for debate. What matters most is which method you can best adhere to. If you like cold showers and can regularly do them, then by all means, keep at it. On the other hand, if you can’t stand cold temperatures no matter how disciplined you can make yourself, then go for the sauna or a very hot shower. Doing both might also be a third option, but I’m not sure who has the time or resources in order to do so. (An affordable middle ground is contrasting temperatures in the shower, alternating between hot and cold water for a few minutes.) At the end of the day, it’s all a matter of personal preference and sustainability.

Light Activity

There should be a difference between exercise and working out. Although I apologize for using the words interchangeably, for the sake of this section, let’s be clear that a hard, intense workout nowhere near the same as prolonged activities like hiking, swimming, or even chore work. (In fact, these usually fall within the guidelines of NEAT, aka, non-exercise activity thermogenesis.) When it’s time for a rest day, try not to turn into a slug by doing absolutely nothing. If anything, this will backfire on you. The onset of modern-day sedentary living has done a number on our postures, internal health, and minds, so despite having a day off from working out, you still want to incorporate some form of light activity. This can be a recreational sport or activity (I’ve recently taken a liking to skiing), remodeling the house, gardening, or, even walking. What matters is that you’re getting a healthy dose of blood flow to help your muscles repair and recover from your workouts.

Get the Right Nutrition

When someone complains that they’re not getting the results they want from their workouts, I often question the quality of their diet. Are they eating enough to support their goal? Is the bulk of their diet made up of whole foods, or processed treats? A common practice that many people give in to is a “cheat day”. First of all, your diet is not your spouse. There should be no shame in wanting to have a treat now and again. Second, the dose makes the poison. If you had, say, a pizza once in a blue moon, while the majority of the time your diet is pretty good, then I doubt that a couple of slices of pizza is going to derail your efforts. That being said, if most of your diet is chips, candy, soda, ice cream, and fried chicken (in large amounts), then I strongly urge you to question the food instead of the workout. Fueling after an intense training session is not only important for body composition but performance as well. If you don’t supply your body with the nutrients it needs in order to grow and repair muscle, then don’t expect to see much progress or definition. Furthermore, if you’re feeling increased soreness while also having trouble performing the workout itself, then you definitely need to pay attention to the food that goes on your plate. Read my Pro-Recovery Foods post for a list of foods that can help supercharge your post-workout regimen.

Sleep

Ironically, while everyone is looking for the next big thing- whether it’s a biohack, supplement, steroid, or superfood-, one of the most powerful recovery tools you have at your disposal is sleep. I’m not kidding. If you’re looking to lower stress, fight fatigue, increase longevity, balance hormones, promote growth hormone secretion, and encourage weight loss, then all you need to do is get a good night’s rest. [3] Even though it sounds like a cop-out, it really is that important for your recovery. Think about it. Ever had a horrible night of rest and could barely function for the rest of the day? Moreover, you had to rely on multiple cups of coffee? You see, sleep can definitely make or break your efforts. No amount of whole foods or exercise is going to work if you don’t cap it all off with enough sleep. It’s the ultimate total reset that can (and should) be done 365 days a year. We were destined to have enough sleep for a reason, so please, do yourself a favor, and hit the sack. If you’d like some tips on how to optimize your sleep, then check out the posts that I have written here and here.

Sources:

[1] https://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/how-become-more-flexible-because-yes-its-important/
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4592767/
[3] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-reasons-why-good-sleep-is-important