Post workout recovery is something I have mastered since I have a 35lb 2 year old and a 15lb 2 month old that I have to carry up and down our 36 stairs all day. Yes, I counted my stairs- that’s how awful they are. So today I’m bringing you my top tips on the best recovery after a workout.
Because who has time to be sore, seriously?! I need to be able to have a hardcore workout and still function the next day because moms just don’t get days off.
Best Recovery After a Workout
Delayed onset muscle soreness is the soreness your body feels 24-72 hours after your workout, and that is what we want to minimize.
We all know sleep is key, but I don’t get sleep and you probably don’t either. So my goal here is to provide you with more realistic options than telling you to get 8 hours of sleep. If you get 8 hours of sleep every night, you’re already my hero and I need you tell me how to do life.
Anyway, here is what works for me…
How to Recover After a Workout
Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder
Protein, Protein, Protein
During a workout, your muscles experience normal microscopic damage that breaks down muscle fiber.
After you exercise, the protein you take in rebuilds these muscle fibers as your body recovers.
Drinking a protein shake or eating a meal with protein within 30 minutes of finishing your workout is crucial to muscle recovery for this reason.
Make sure you are using a high quality protein powder that will get the job done.
TriggerPoint GRID Foam Roller with Free Online Instructional Videos
Roll Out the Pain!
Foam rolling for a few minutes before and after a workout will really help with soreness… a lot.
Using a foam roller can improve flexibility, muscle recovery, movement efficiency, inhibit overactive muscles, and ease pain.
To put it simply, you get tiny knots around your muscles and foam rolling focuses on alleviating these knots to restore optimal muscle motion and function. If you want more detailed information, read my article on how to foam roll.
Oh, and it’s a great toy for the little ones when not in use lol.
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Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard BCAA
Drink BCAA’s
I throw a BCAA powder in my water while working out and I can really tell the difference when I use it and when I don’t. (You can also drink it after you workout)
BCAA stands for branched chain amino acids and BCAA’s help reduce the breakdown of protein, which preserves lean muscle mass and reduces soreness after a workout.
Not only can they help with muscle recovery, but they also help with endurance during your workout. This BCAA is the best tasting one out there.
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Take a Warm Epsom Salt Bath
Soaking in Epsom salt baths after working out can help prevent inflammation and irritation in your joints and muscles.
Run very warm water (as warm as you can stand it) and drop 2 cups of epsom salt under the running water. Then just hop in and enjoy!
You want to soak for at least 15 minutes. This will relax your muscles and loosen stiff joints. You can drop a little essential oil in there to help you relax and light some candles to set the ambiance 🙂 (Lavender oil is great for relaxation. )
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Hydration & Proper Nutrition
If you’re not eating the right foods or drinking enough water, it will take your body longer to recover. You can follow my clean eating meal plan and try my detox water recipes to help keep you on the right track.
This 21 day clean eating meal plan pre-tracks all of your calories and macronutrients for you. It also includes a weekly grocery list and easy recipes for all of the meals in the plan.
