Your Guide to Sports Recovery Strategies That Work

Many people experience delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) within 24 to 48 hours after working out. Unfortunately, pain and discomfort could impair your physical training and performance if you don’t have a plan. With the right sports recovery strategies, you can minimize muscle pain to get back to your exercise routine.

Here are a few simple tips that can help ease the pain. These tips can help speed up your recovery before aches and pains slow you down. 

Read on to learn more!

Cool Down

After an intense workout, give your body time to cool down. Cooling down will allow your blood pressure and heart rate to recover gradually.

After a new, intense workout or HIIT class, schedule five to 10 minutes of walking on the treadmill. Give your heart rate the chance to slow down. You can use slow, static stretching to ensure your body has the chance to relax, too. 

Consider foam rolling as part of your muscle recovery process as well. Foam rolling can improve your flexibility. It could loosen tight hips, reduce discomfort, and improve your overall training, too. 

Hydrate

Drink water to keep your body properly hydrated. In addition to benefiting your overall health, water can also benefit your post-workout recovery. Without proper hydration, your body might struggle to recover from DOMS.

Instead, try to drink about two liters of water every day. Drink more on the days you sweat a lot. Aim to consume a volume of fluid greater than your sweat loss on days you work out. 

Make sure to consume sufficient replacement electrolytes like sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium as well. These minerals are found in most foods and benefit your nervous system.

Electrolytes are also used during muscle contraction.

To replace lost electrolytes in your blood, consider drinking coconut water or a glass of milk to boost your recovery.

Water will carry nutrients and oxygen throughout your body while regulating your temperature. Without proper hydration, your body will struggle to normalize blood pressure levels to stabilize your heartbeat. 

Consume More Protein

Choose a post-workout snack that contains both protein and carbohydrates. The right snack can boost your muscle recovery time by ensuring your body has the nutrients muscle tissues need to repair. 

Your body is most effective at replacing carbs and promoting muscle repair and growth 60 to 90 minutes after a workout. Plan for a quick, healthy snack to replenish your energy levels after hitting the gym. For example, you might consider:

• Eggs on toast
• A smoothie with protein powder
• Peanut butter
• Fruit with yogurt

If you prefer a plant-based diet, consider foods that are high in protein like beans, tofu, or nuts.

Try to eat something alkalizing, such as fruit, to give your body the vitamins and minerals it needs to cool down after a workout. Otherwise, try to avoid processed, packaged, or sugary foods, which contain processed sugar. Sugar can promote inflammation, impacting your recovery. 

Take a Supplement

If you can’t consume protein immediately after a workout, try taking a workout supplement instead. Look for branch-chain amino acids (BCAAs) to limit post-workout soreness for a shorter muscle recovery time. 

You can find BCAAs in many protein powders. It’s also in whole foods like dairy, beans, tofu, animal protein, and eggs. 

Try CBD

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid found in cannabis. Its ability to interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) could potentially help ease your muscle pain. 

Working out causes microscopic damage to the proteins that make up individual muscle fibers. Inflammation occurs, causing muscle pain, stiffness, and aches as a result. The muscle pain usually subsides with time.

Some people don’t have time to wait for the pain to fade, though. Using CBD could ease post-exercise joint stiffness and muscle pain to increase your recovery time.

CBD can also help you relax after a long day, allowing you to fall asleep with ease. Sleep will give your body a chance to heal, further benefiting the recovery process. 

Warm Up Before Training

Scheduling an effective warm-up will help ease muscle soreness. It can also reduce the risk of injury. Start with a warm-up before a challenging workout. Make sure to include dynamic stretching as a way of activating the muscles you intend to use, too.

Elevate the Legs

Whether we’re standing, walking, or lying down, we spend a lot of time on our feet. Elevating your legs could improve blood flow, allowing nutrients to travel throughout the body. Nutrients can reduce swelling, improving your recovery.

Give Your Body Time to Rest

Don’t skip rest days! Instead, give your body the chance to heal. Rest days can speed up the muscle recovery process. 

Give yourself at least one day of rest every seven to 10 days. 

Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, too. About eight hours a night can give your body the chance to repair muscle tissue. Hormones like testosterone also increase as you sleep, benefiting your workouts during the day. 

If you’re struggling to fall asleep, consider using CBD.

Keep Moving

While it’s important to rest, light movement between intense workouts can benefit your recovery plan, too. Movement will ensure your blood continues circulating throughout your body. Blood transports nutrients to ensure muscle repair.

It also helps with the process of removing metabolic waste. 

Consider stretching or going for a light walk.

Reduce Stress

Look for ways to reduce stress in your life. Otherwise, emotional stress can impact your muscle recovery. Stress also affects fatigue, perceived energy, and soreness after strenuous exercise.

Consider adding massages to your recovery plan, too. Massages can offset muscle soreness. They can also boost blood flow to speed up the recovery process. 

Listen to Your Body

Above all else, listen to your body. Sometimes, an area of the body might feel tight. Listening to your body will let you know when to rest or reduce the intensity of your workouts. 

As you take the time to stretch, focus on how your body feels. If an area feels tight or especially sore, adjust your workout.

Ease Aches With These Easy Sports Recovery Tips

Muscle pain and stiffness could impact your ability to hit the gym to accomplish your fitness goals. Use these sports recovery tips to ease the pain and avoid DOMS. With these tips, you can boost your recovery time.

A few small changes to your routine could make all the difference. 

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