Best Of 2020

6 Ways to Relax Your Muscles After an Intense Workout

Pushing your body to the max can help you improve your cardio and build muscle, but can also leave you sore and fatigued the following days. In order to recover faster, it’s important you know how to take care of your body and keep your muscles relaxed even after an intense workout. Take a look at our top recovery tips below, so you can feel fresh and ready to go the next time you hit the pavement or lift weights at the gym.

1. Try CBD

CBD is a natural remedy with anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce swelling and inflammation in your muscles. What’s great about CBD is that it doesn’t include the psychoactive elements found in THC products, which means you won’t experience the high that comes with consuming marijuana products.

There are plenty of CBD products on the market you can take after your next intense workout, such as CBD cream to rub on your joints and muscles, CBD gummies to chew on post-lift, and even CBD water to stay hydrated.

2. Roll out and massage

When your muscles are sore and achy, one of the best ways to prevent delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is by rolling out your muscles with a foam roller. A foam roller can target deep tissue and improve circulation by flushing out old blood and lactic acid.

Another option is getting a deep tissue massage, either from a professional masseuse or using a deep tissue massager, such as a massage gun.

3. Ice

Icing sore muscles can help relieve pain and inflammation. When you ice, blood flow is reduced in that particular area, which reduces swelling that causes pain around tendons and joints. You can go the traditional route and use ice bags and place them on sore muscles for ten minutes at a time, or you can use ice wraps or cooling compression sleeves that provide pressure and cooling. For more centered areas, there are also ice cups you can pop in the freezer and rub on areas like your feet, calves, and shoulders.

4. Stretch

Stretching is a tried and true classic that can relieve muscle pain after an intense workout aimed at gaining muscle mass or improving cardio. Once you’re done hitting your PR or crushing weights, give your body much-needed time to cool down. There are two types of stretches: dynamic stretches and static stretches.

Dynamic stretches are stretches that require movement, such as high knees, butt kicks, monster walks, and leg swings. Static stretches, on the other hand, are stretches that don’t require movement, such as toe touches, cross-body arm stretches, and quad stretches. It’s best to do both types of stretches to ensure you’re loosening all muscles in your body.

A great stretching tool that’s practical and affordable is a nylon stretching rope. You can use a stretching rope to wrap around your foot and stretch your legs in various positions. With a quick YouTube search, you can find a variety of rope stretches you can do post-workout.

5. Sleep

When you sleep, your body enters a restorative state where growth hormones are released to rebuild torn tissue and help you recover. If you’re not getting adequate sleep, you can be doing your body a serious disservice. While staying up late to binge-watch your favorite Netflix show or talk on the phone with your friends can be hard opportunities to pass up, it’s best to put away any distractions, such as your cellphone and laptop, away early in the evening so you can wind down and get some rest.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, consider investing in a new mattress that takes pressure off of your back, neck, shoulders, and legs. A weighted blanket can also help reduce restless leg syndrome that comes after an intense workout, and can also provide compression to help circulate your blood.

6. Try yoga

Yoga is an excellent activity to partake in after an intense workout because it focuses on slow body movements that are aimed at relaxing both your brain and your muscles. With a yoga mat and a stress-free environment, you can find your inner peace and relax your body.

Wrapping up

No one likes to feel sore and fatigued after a grueling workout. With these six tips, you’ll be able to help your muscles recover faster and better, leaving you fresh and ready to work out again the next day.

Pin It
Submit to Reddit


Subscribe to this thread:

Add a comment


Browse Best Of:

© 2019 Womack Digital, LLC
Powered by Foundation