The old saying; “the mind is willing but the flesh is weak”, is never more true when it comes to recovery after a hard workout. With positive endorphins surging through their system, many athletes are keen to hit the gym, track, or training field as soon as possible after a successful training session. However, for sustained training results and to avoid the risk of injury, adequate recovery time is essential. What are the best and fastest ways to recover after strenuous exercise, to improve results and decrease time between sessions? Here are a few ideas:
1) Hydrate
Keeping yourself properly hydrated is the best way to reduce muscle fatigue and aid recovery after a workout. Be sure to drink plenty of water during the workout itself, as this will stop you getting tired, and help prevent the build-up of lactic acid in your muscles (the substance that causes aches and stiffness post-exercise). Many natural hydration drinks – those sports beverages that are enhanced to enable a greater uptake of water – are also useful, both during and after exercise. Make sure you keep up your water intake throughout the day after a workout session.
2) Sleep Well
Getting a good night’s sleep after a workout lets your body rest and restore energy, and also gives it a chance to rebuild muscle connections. This is especially important after weight and resistance training, as good sleep consolidates the results of your workout and lets you see better results, in a shorter time.
3) Stretch
A good stretching routine after exercise is the best way to get the full results of a workout, to prevent stiffness, and to speed your recovery time. Pay special attention to the muscles you’ve been working on, but don’t ignore the importance of a full body stretch, even if just for a few minutes. Many serious athletes find it beneficial to dedicate specific sessions to stretching during their week.
4) Increase Nutrient Intake
Depending on your fitness goals, your body will need a whole range of nutrients and minerals, in quantities you may not necessarily consume in an average diet. The first thing to do is up your protein intake, whether through protein shakes, or naturally through white meat, eggs, or pulses. Branched Chain Amino Acid (BCAA), and creatine supplements can also help recovery by shortening the time needed to repair muscle connections.
5) Use Rest And Recovery Days
Working out is fun and good for your health, but it’s important to take a break. Incorporate dedicated rest and recovery days into your schedule, on which you undertake only moderate activity, or don’t do anything at all – put your feet up! This lets your muscles and joints recover, and prepares your body to achieve even bigger results when you recommence your training.
6) Use Hyperbaric Wellness
Our ability to recover from strenuous exercise depends to a large extent on our oxygen supply. The better and more oxygen is able to reach tired and damaged muscles, the faster we recover from workouts, and the quicker we heal from injuries. This is why most coaches recommend deep breathing exercises during rest periods. For the same reason, hyperbaric wellness has been linked by many top athletes to better sports performance and faster recovery times. Taking place within a sealed chamber pressurised to compress oxygen molecules, hyperbaric wellness enables greater oxygen uptake by the blood, the plasma and has even demonstrated the growth of new capillaries and blood vessels – letting oxygen reach more parts of the body.
Next Steps
Achieving your sports performance goals is as much about getting the rest, nutrition, and relaxation your body needs, as it is about pushing yourself on the field or in the gym. Hyperbaric wellness can play an important role and potentially enhance and support your recovery strategy to give you better results, and lower your risk of injury. Well over 1,000 of the world’s top athletes have already incorporated our hyperbaric chamber into their daily recovery routine from the comfort of their own home. To find out more, or to discuss our range of home hyperbaric chambers, please inquire today.
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