You did it! You got in the gym, you pushed yourself up the mountain, and you crossed the finish line! Whether it was 15 minutes on the Peloton or 45 minutes of strength training, you completed an intense workout!
Now what?
Well, the obvious answer (especially if you’re new to fitness) is a lot of soreness tomorrow.
Soreness comes from doing things that your body isn’t used to, so it’s very common to hit the gym hard and wake up the next day feeling like it hit you back much, much harder.
In order to get back in the gym and keep you focused on your health and fitness goals, here are a few tips to help you avoid (or at the very least mitigate) some of that post workout soreness.
WARM UP
This is a step you can take before the workout even begins.
As someone who works out 5-6 times a week, I do the same warm up every single day the moment I get out of bed. It includes getting my body moving, raising my knees, stretching out my chest, back, and shoulders, opening up my hips, and loosening my hamstrings. All together it takes less than five minutes.
Getting the muscles ready pre-workout is an excellent way to reduce soreness post-workout, as well as a helpful tool to avoid injury.
You don’t have to do 20 minutes on a treadmill. Save your energy for the strength training and just get the blood flowing and muscles warmed up.
DRINK A LOT OF WATER
Dehydration leads to cramping. Cramping on top of general soreness from exercise leads to crying. Crying leads to more dehydration.
Kidding, sort of. But the point remains, working out dehydrates your body which leads to increased muscle soreness. I like to drink 8 ounces of water during and immediately after my workouts to help refuel my body and keep my muscles hydrated. This helps mitigate soreness the next day.
I also try to drink 80-100 oz per day as a general rule to maintain focus and healthy organs.
POST-WORKOUT MEAL
Similar to how dehydration leads to soreness, not having enough food will also prevent your muscles from recovering and growing. I like to eat a little something before and after my workout, depending on what time I’m able to fit it in between clients.
This could be a protein shake or a bar or even a small plate of food. The goal is to get into the habit of fueling your body with the proper nutrition it needs to help it perform at its highest level.
SAUNA
This is of course dependent on having access to a spa or sauna. If you do have the ability to use a sauna, take advantage! Five minutes in the heat of a sauna will increase blood flow to your muscles, reduce soreness, and promote recovery.
All you have to do is stand the heat for a few minutes and you’ll be on your way to feeling amazing! Oh, and drink a lot of water before and after!
MASSAGE/STRETCH
Shameless self promotion time. I end every session by stretching my clients hamstrings, glutes, and lumbar spine and rotating their hips before doing a full body massage with a Theragun Massage Tool. It’s a wonderful way to end the session as it promotes recovery, reduces soreness, and just feels lovely.
It’s the ultimate reward after a 30-45 minute workout! Take care of your muscles and they will take care of you!
CONSISTENCY
Here’s the big one. If you really want to reduce soreness, increase recovery time, and achieve your fitness goals, you need to make fitness a regular part of your life.
As I said earlier, soreness comes from putting your body through new activity. The more your body experiences the effects of strength training the more it will adapt and be prepared for it. The more you exercise the more you will reduce soreness.
I workout 3-4 days in a row and very rarely experience soreness because my body has adapted to what I put it through. Put in the time, get your body prepared for your workouts, and you will reduce soreness in no time!
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