Recovering properly following exercise is very important – as necessary in fact as exercising itself! Not recovering fully post-exercise can increase the likelihood of injury, increase stresses on the body and limit the body’s ability to cope with future exercise. So, whether its post marathon, triathlon or big gym session, follow the steps below to recover quickly and effectively!

Stretch
Stretching following exercise has been shown to help muscle soreness, though researchers are unsure as to why. Muscles can often get tight following exercise due to the large amount of contractions they go through. Holding static stretching for up to 60 seconds after exercise helps to elongate shortened muscles tissues, as well as promoting more movement and blood flow. Try to relax into each stretch – this can be done in the hours after exercise, often best when fully relaxed, after the muscles have had some time to rest.

Post-workout nutrition
What you eat and drink following exercise is vital in bringing the body back to its normal state called homeostasis. Restoring the muscles’ energy through good carbohydrates is most effective – these come in the form of starchy food such as rice or potatoes.

As we exercise we consistently create small tears in muscle fibers, which following exercise – or sometimes during – need repairing. Ingesting a protein source is key to aiding the muscles’ recovery. The muscle fibers uptake amino acids – the building blocks of protein – after exercise to repair the muscle tissues. Higher protein foods come in the form or fish, meat, nuts and dairy products.

Self Myofascial release/ sports massage
Self-Myofascial release or sports massage up to 24 hours following exercise benefits recovery by improving circulation, increasing nutrient-dense blood back to the fatigued muscles. It also helps to reduce tension in the muscles, restore normal tone (reducing muscle spasm) and stretch the fibers.

Self-Myofascial release can be performed on ones self with a foam roller or similar device. This can have similar effects to sports massage, though is often hard to adjust pressure for sore muscles. Massage can also help with relaxation following intense exercise, restoring breathing rate and boasting immune function to help rid the body of lactic acid and toxins.

Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is the optimal way to recover, especially if you have followed the above steps and helped the muscles to function better and taken on plenty of water and good recovery food. Sleep is when your body neurologically recovers and can fully relax. During this time it can assess the body’s state of depletion and initiate recovery of hormones, enhancing the body’s aerobic and anabolic processes ready for the next exercise session!

Active recovery
Conversely to the above point, active recovery relates to performing exercise at a reduced intensity to normal training or competitions. Active recovery is usually performed after a race/competition or sustained intense training schedule. This allows the body to reduce its metabolic or energy pathways, allowing an increased ability of the body to repair its self and recover prior to training hard or competing again.

Active recovery is often performed using a different exercise to that which is the norm, such as swimming for a runner to reduce load on the joints, or performing relaxing yoga to alleviate muscle soreness and psychological recovery.