You’ve crushed your workout. Now what? Rest. It might sound counterproductive, but relaxing days are as important as the workout. Just think about this: our muscles need time to repair, your mind needs a break, and your body needs to recover. All that requires a good relaxation.
Best Ways to Relax After an Intense Workout
Active Recovery
Rest doesn’t always mean you have to sit around all day. Active rest also has a word to say for your well-being! For example, light activities like walking, swimming, or yoga can help keep your blood flowing and speed up recovery. Take up these activities — they are not too intense but still will bring you a good portion of active rest. Feeling too drained out to move around? Consider microdose THC pills for energy — they are a quick way to recharge your batteries.
Stretching and Mobility Work
Gentle stretching can help ease muscle tension and improve flexibility. Just a little stretch, and your muscles will cool down appropriately. This way, the risk of tightness or pain will be minimal. Another great way is foam rolling or using a massage gun. These tools break up knots and improve blood circulation to sore areas.
Hydrate and Fuel Up
As usual, what we eat and drink corresponds to how well we recover. Drink plenty of water to flush out toxins and keep your muscles hydrated. Plus, keep your diet balanced with protein, healthy fats, and carbs to replenish your body’s energy stores and aid in muscle repair. You can also use a post-workout supplement for better results. These combine essential dosages of vitamins with a pinch of THC to improve muscle repair and reduce inflammation.
Hot and Cold Therapy
Tight at first, contrast showers bring some great benefits. Alternate between hot and cold water to improve circulation and reduce muscle soreness. If you’re of an extreme type, you can also try contrast bathing. Bath for 10 minutes in the cold water, then immerse in a warm bath to relax your muscles.
8 Reasons Why You Need Post-Exercise Rest Days
Ok, now that you know the best ways to relax yourself, why not dig deeper and uncover WHY you need the post-workout relaxation? In fact, there are many reasons, including some of the core ones.
- Muscle Repair and Growth
When you exercise, your muscle fibers are slightly torn. Relaxation days give your body time to fix these tears, making your muscles stronger and bigger. Skipping rest? You’re risking overtraining and injury.
2. Preventing Injury
Injuries are part of our workouts. Without proper relaxation, your body won’t have enough time to recover. Plus, without recovery, you could face another injury, which could be avoided.
3. Mental Recovery
Exercise is as much a mental game as it is physical. Rest days allow your mind to refresh, keeping your motivation and enthusiasm high.
4. Improving Performance
Overworking your body can actually reduce your performance. When you rest, you restore your energy levels and keep your body in peak condition.
5. Balancing Hormones
Cortisol and testosterone are the main hormones influenced by intense workouts. When you get some rest, these hormones return to their usual conditions. Thus, too much exercise without enough rest disturbs the balance and can affect your mood and muscle growth.
6. Replenishing Energy Stores
Exercise depletes glycogen stores in your muscles. And relaxing days work the other way by giving your body time to replenish these stores. Thus, you have the energy needed for your next workout.
7. Boosting Immune Function
Relaxation days allow your immune system to catch up and strengthen, reducing the risk of getting sick.
8. Improving Sleep Quality
Your body recovers a lot while you sleep. So, when you relax, you improve your sleep quality, ensuring you get the recovery time you need.
As you can see, the importance of a qualitative and balanced post-workout rest can hardly be overstated. In the end, exercising drains out all of your body systems, and some relaxing activities can help you get back on track. So, which one is your favorite? Choose it and make it part of your post-workout routine.
