Alternative Remedies for Post-Workout Recovery

Introduction

Health and wellness have taken our country by storm and everyone is doing their best to participate in these actions.

Healthy alternatives and supplements are popping up all over the internet and in your local stores to attract your attention into using them in your daily routine.

However, there are some nuances to using these supplements and most people do not understand the nature of these products.

While some are great for workout recovery, others are just a generic label of price gouging nature. People who are educated about these recovery methods already understand what is good and what to avoid.

However, the song remains the same. We want to be healthy, and one of the quickest ways to lose weight and create a body we can be proud of is to get into the gym.

Having said that, there are some negative responses your body takes after you have put it through a strenuous workout routine.

It is important to ensure proper recovery methods in order to keep your body healthy and strong, and maintaining those good gains you love.

Alternative Remedies for Optimal Post-Workout Recovery

Here are some great alternative remedies that can help your body maintain a positive post-workout recovery.

Get Enough Rest

Sleep is one of the unsung heroes of workout recovery. In fact, it is one of the lesser used options for many people. 1 out of every 3 Americans claim they do not get the proper rest every night. In order for your body to maintain health and continue to recover quickly, you need at least 8 hours of sleep each night.

For a long time, scientists believed your brain activity was the same when you slept. Now they realize that’s not the case. A lot of important things happen within your brain and your body during a good night’s rest. Temperature plays an important role for the body to get good sleep as well. Usually a colder temperature will help the body sleep better, so make sure you keep it a few degrees cooler at night. You want to prepare the best atmosphere for your body to repair itself because during sleep, your body begins this repairing process to the muscles, organs, and other cells throughout the body.

Furthermore, chemicals that make your immune system much stronger begin to flow through your bloodstream which allows you to fight off viruses and other illnesses. The sleep patterns that you provide your body with are just as important as the weights you lifted earlier that day. People who are serious about workout recovery will ensure they are getting enough rest to help maintain this healthy lifestyle.

One of the best ways to ensure you get adequate sleep is to buy a quality, comfortable mattress. Sleep studies have proven time and time again that mattress quality can make or break a solid night’s rest. Finding the perfect sleep mattress doesn’t have to be rocket science either. I only use and recommend memory foam mattresses. My quality of sleep has dramatically improved since I began doing so.

See the Chiropractor

Chiropractic care has been around since Palmer did his first adjustment in 1895. However, the trend didn’t catch on with the public until much later.

In the end, over 35 million Americans believe in the power of chiropractic care with their physical needs and it does prove to host a lot of benefits. Some say chiropractic care can alleviate illnesses, allow the body proper adjustments for immunizations, and much more. Using chiropractors for post workout recovery twice a month is a good precaution.

Since chiropractors can manipulate the spine and adjust misalignments caused by improper techniques at the gym or elsewhere, it allows the patient to recover quicker from aches and pains that would have normally not healed themselves. Subluxations can occur at any time, and you may not even know you’re out of alignment until you visit the chiropractor.

It is important to make sure you correct your asymmetry, extend your range of motion, and allow your body the opportunity to heal itself. Chiropractic professionals can assist your body to do this very thing. One of the most important things chiropractic care does for the body is to boost the pulmonary functions. This means there is more oxygen flowing through your bloodstream which counts for more consistent performance.

Use CBD Oil

At some point you have probably heard about the benefits of pure CBD oil. Vendors like Kats Botanicals and others offer CBD because it is one of the most popular medicinal products in America and in the UK right now, and more and more people are using it to benefit a healthy lifestyle.

CBD, or cannabidiol, comes from the hemp plant in large quantities, but when produced to the consumer as a full-spectrum hemp oil, over 120 other cannabinoids are present along with CBD. This makes for a very powerful concoction the user can benefit from due to the positive effect CBD has on human body’s endocannabinoid system.

CBD directly affects these CB1 and CB2 receptors located throughout the human system and one of these characteristics of CBD is through post workout recovery. When you go to the gym and begin lifting weights or putting your muscles through strenuous tasks, a tearing begins to occur. Even though these “tears” are what the user is wanting to see (thus the term “being cut”), one of the downsides of these tears is how it can directly affect the joints and muscles due to inflammation.

One study revealed the importance of CBD due to inflammation in the test subjects and how CBD is used positively to combat inflammatory pain. Whether your joints are hurting from the gym or from another activity, CBD is a great alternative for proper recovery.

If you’re ready to give CBD a try, you’re in luck, for it’s quite easy to come by. That said, it can still be an overwhelming experience because there are so many manufacturers offering CBD based products. Want to fast track your search? This review of the best CBD oils is a great place to start.

Give Kratom A Try

Many people are benefitting from the alternative relief from Kratom. This native tree from Southeastern Asia is harvested for its potent leaves which have been said to have characteristics of pain relief. During a strenuous workout, your body endures a lot of punishment from lifting weights, running, etc. The after effect of these workouts can make your muscles sore and your body ache. This is where Kratom powder comes in handy, and many people are enjoying a natural form of relief from this plant to help in their workout recovery.

Eat the Right Foods

You’ve heard the old saying, “You are what you eat” and it has never been truer when referencing workout recovery methods. There’s no greater feeling than right after you finished your workout. You are accomplished and you’re sweaty, however, fatigue begins to set in not long after. It is what you do with this time that is so important to your workout recovery. In essence, make sure you are eating the right foods that can help your body maintain. Right after workouts, your body needs potassium to combat against muscle fatigue and injury, as well as dehydration and even cramps. In fact, most people don’t even eat the prescribed amount of potassium they need every day (3500MG), so it’s very important that you include this right after your workout. Another food idea is to make sure you’re getting enough protein, especially lean proteins.

There are many different ideas you can use here to help your food intake before, during, and after your workout to make sure your body stays at top physical performance. Do some testing with each idea to see which routine is right for your body and stick with that. Remember, don’t forget to eat, your body needs fuel to power through.

Use the Shower

There’s not a lot of people on this planet that can say they enjoy taking a cold shower. However, if you make the shower a torture chamber after your workout it can benefit you greatly. After your workout, your muscles are going to be fatigued, sore, and possibly even ache. In order to use the shower correctly for these after-workout muscles, alternate between hot and cold to soothe these sore muscles. Turn the shower as hot as you can for 20 or 30 seconds, and then alternate the temperature by turning it as cold as you can for the same amount of time. Do ten repetitions of alternate temp switches to help your muscles calm down.

Conclusion

If you are one of the millions of Americans who use the gym as a source of healthy living there are some strategies you should know about. Post workout recovery is an important part of a healthy gym lifestyle and there are plenty of ideas to go around. These alternative methods can help your body recover quicker and have your muscles operating at peak performance. When you can work with your body for a better recovery mode, your body will reward you with top physical shape in the end.

About Shannon Clark

Shannon holds a degree in Exercise Science and is a certified personal trainer and fitness writer with over 10 years of industry experience.