Top 5 Ways To Speed Up Muscle Recovery

Introduction

If you’ve upped your workout game, your body may not be happy with you for a few days. Some pain and discomfort is typical after a strenuous workout but it shouldn’t stop you from moving forward.

To keep your muscles healing well as you grow them, take a good look at your daily routine and do your best to support your body as it heals up after a workout. Muscle recovery is critical on the road to muscular development.

So with that said, here are five of the best ways to speed up muscle recovery…

Get Plenty of Sleep

Be vigilant about getting quality rest. Buy blackout curtains if you need to, and put your charger across the room so your phone can’t be reached from your nest. No screens in bed, and if you can keep them out of the bedroom altogether, do so.

Try to keep your bedroom cool. Part of good quality sleep is successfully falling into deep sleep, and deep sleep only happens when your core body temperature falls below a certain point. Avoid hot baths and hot showers right before bed so you’re not elevating that core temp; it will take longer to drop off. While you may be sleeping, you’re not giving your body the time it needs to flush away the toxins of the day.

Try Ice

Yes, heat feels wonderful on sore muscles. However, the human body contains a lot of water, and overly warm tissues are inherently inflamed tissues. Use a timer and ice sore muscles for twenty minutes every two hours, then gently stretch.

Pay special attention to your joints when you’re icing. If you’ve got a shoulder or a knee that’s particularly chatty, fold a kitchen towel in half and slide it into a large Ziploc bag. Add water until the towel is wet but not saturated. Seal and freeze the bag, then lay it over the sore joint with a paper towel between your skin and the plastic. In twenty minutes, the towel will be melted and you can put it back in the freezer before the next round.

Utilize CBD / THC

CBD is believed to act as a block on the nerve cells that are transmitting pain messages and it helps to reduce inflammation. If you know the muscle is just sore, quieting the chatter with a microdose of CBD/THC can help you get through the day, and a full dose before bed can help you fall asleep.

Whether you use micro or full doses from THC & CBD delivery in San Diego is your business. Do take care not to use these products as a pain suppressant and go back to the gym and work the same sore muscle group. If you take CBD/THC for shoulder pain, make the next workout a leg day.

Don’t Skip the Protein

Whey protein is critical to any workout, but those trying to increase muscle mass will gain the greatest benefit. Whey protein offers complete bioavailability. Every drop of your whey protein shake goes into feeding your muscles.

A whey protein shake after a hard workout will:

• • give you glucose and energy for the rest of your day
  • feed freshly damaged muscles as they recover
  • fight the damage caused by free radicals in the body

When you amp up your heartbeat and raise your own body temperature, you burn fat and activate tissues that collect toxins. This activation releases free radicals. Toxins are a part of our lives; we’re all going to be exposed to them. Shedding them effectively will take antioxidants. Use a protein shake and lots of fruits and veggies to keep your antioxidant intake high.

Hydrate Your Body

In addition to your protein shake, make sure you’re getting plenty of water. The cleansing organs that are responsible for carrying away all of those toxins, including your liver, kidneys and gut, are going to need water to do their job. Eight glasses a day is a start, but if you can get more water, do so.

Keep water with you during your workout and break up your reps with a swallow or two. For every caffeinated beverage you drink during the day, back it up with the same ounces of water. Caffeinated beverages do offer your tissues some assistance, but caffeine is a natural diuretic, so your body sheds water more quickly than is effective.

Conclusion

Keeping your body supple is just as important as staying strong. Stretch after every workout, and use a foam roller to move toxins out of hot muscles. Drink plenty of water and add a protein shake, then manage post-workout pain with other products as you see fit.

About Theresa Duncan

Originally from Detroit, MI, Theresa has been offering health and fitness advice for the last 30 years while working as an engineer. She decided to turn her passion into a profession, and finds nothing more satisfying than helping others reach their health and fitness goals.