Grooming Editor

Top Tips To Speed Up Gym Recovery

After a workout, it’s crucial to have a routine specifically designed for gym recovery.  Without it, you can experience muscle aches and pains for longer than necessary. You’re also likely to experience break outs on your face and body caused by excess sweating. To make sure you recover as quickly as possible post-workout, discover our top tips below.

How To Aid Gym Recovery

Recovering after a workout isn’t as complicated as you may think. Believe it or not, the time which you spend resting is just as important as the time you spend in the gym. Simply follow our 20 tips below to aid gym recovery and leave your body feeling refreshed and pain-free.

  1. Spend More Time Sleeping

    Whilst you sleep, your body can heal and recover much more quickly. Also, when you are tired, your mood can be altered alongside your tolerance to training. Make sure to get enough sleep between workouts so reduce fatigue and keep you at the top of your game.

  2. Eat More Protein

    Most people are already aware that protein is incredibly important when it comes to working out. But the correct amount to consume alongside the reasons behind it are often unknown. A good measurement to follow is to consume 1-1.6g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, depending on the amount of exercise you have done. This will help your body to rebuild muscle tissue.

  3. Boost Your Carbohydrates

    Similar to how protein is needed post-workout, consuming carbohydrates is essential too. As the muscles major source of energy, they refuel your body’s glycogen levels. Aim to consume a small snack containing roughly 50g of carbohydrates within an hour of completing your workout.

  4. Stay Hydrated

    Dehydration is not only dangerous, it also increases the time it takes for your body and muscles to recover. Making sure that you drink enough during your workout and having 2-3 glasses post-exercise will dramatically shorten the time it takes to recuperate.

  5. Get A Massage

    Working out can cause your muscles to develop painful knots. Getting a massage post-workout can make huge improvements in speeding up your gym recovery by removing these knots and reducing muscle inflammation. Bonus: A massage speeds up the production of mitochondria in the cells, increasing your ability to create energy to recover quickly.

  6. Use A Foam Roller

    If you cannot afford to get a professional massage, a foam roller will be able to do a similar job. By rolling back and forth on the foam, use your body weight to roll out the  muscle knots or painful trigger points. Just remember to avoid rolling over bony areas and remember to stretch afterwards.

  7. Have A Cold Bath Or Shower

    After a workout, you will have small tears within the muscle fibers, otherwise kown as microtrauma. Exposure to cold water will constrict blood vessels, reduce swelling and tissue breakdown, and flush waste products from the body. This is a good method to use to treat large areas of the body.

  8. Use An Ice Pack

    If you have exercised a small area of muscle, you can use the above method to treat it without having to submerge your whole body in water. Placing an ice pack on the area will have the same effects as the cold therapy from a bath to help aid gym recovery.

  9. Take Adequate Breaks

    As mentioned earlier, your rest time is just as important as your workout. Ensuring to take a 24-72 hour break between intense workouts will allow your body to recover completely, allowing you to get the most out of every single one of your gym visits.

  10. Avoid Alcohol

    First of all, drinking alcohol dehydrates you which will leave you feeling sluggish. It will also damage your body’s ability to restock on glycogen. This means that your muscles may not be able to function optimally for up to 5 days, setting you back in your exercise routine.

  11. Listen To Music

    Remember how listening to upbeat music during your workout can distract you from pain and motivate you to keep going? Doing the same thing with relaxing music during recovery works just as well. Your mind will be able to focus on something calming to avoid overthinking and becoming stressed. Overall, your body will recover more quickly.

  12. Remember To Stretch

    During a workout, lactic acid builds up in your muscles. This acid is what causes pain and soreness afterwards. If you make time for just 20 minutes of stretching post-exercise, it will warm your muscles and increase blood circulation. In turn, this helps your muscles to recover faster from intense workouts.

  13. Reduce Stress

    When you’re stressed, your muscles take longer to recover, and they don’t recover as well as when you’re relaxed. Either take time to practice yoga or meditation, or spend time doing something you love which doesn’t require overthinking. You’ll feel better for it both mentally and physically.

  14. Do Light Exercise

    After exercise, if you’re suffering from aching muscles it’s too easy to sit down and avoid moving as much as possible. Even though its stopping you from feeling the pain as intensely, this is only a temporary solution. If you keep moving around, your muscles cannot seize up and the movement will improve your circulation for a speedy recovery.

  15. Take Multivitamins

    Being healthy decreases the time it takes for your muscles to fully recover from a workout. To make sure that you’re not lacking in any important vitamins or nutrients, take multivitamins regularly after working out and you’ll recover as fast as your body is capable of.

  16. Drink Cherry Juice

    It’s been scientifically proven that drinking cherry juice can help to reduce the swelling from damaged muscles. Drinking just one glass will also help to hydrate you, helping you to recover faster with less pain.

  17. Take Time For You

    If you always work, go to the gym and do things for other people, you’re not giving yourself the all important time for you. Try to take at least one hour out of your day to just sit back, watch TV or read a book and enjoy being able to do nothing. It will do wonders for your recovery too.

  18. Wear Compression Garments

    By increasing the blood flow throughout the muscles, tight compression garments speed up recovery after a workout. To get the most effective results, wear the compression garments for several hours after the gym and once you remove them, you’ll experience less pain than you’d normally feel.

  19. Try Anti-Inflammatories

    Sometimes, the post-workout pain is just too much to handle. If you’ve tried everything else and nothing is working, anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen or aspirin can work wonders.

  20. Have A Gym Recovery Grooming Routine

    Taking care of your body and skin post-workout is important, yet often underrated. Not only will you look better on the outside, you’ll feel better on the inside. Unsure of what to invest in? Look below for our top picks to aid gym recovery.

The Ultimate Gym Recovery Grooming Products

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Whilst working out, your hair becomes saturated in sweat which can leave it both looking and smelling not too great. The Mitch Double Hitter is a multi-tasking hair product, both shampooing and conditioning your hair at the same time. This will ensure that you can replenish your hair from lost moisture and remove impurities quickly. It’ll smell fresh and be soft, smooth and manageable so you can style it with ease before you leave the gym.

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Once you’ve washed your hair, you need to remove any excess shampoo and conditioner from your body along with sweat and impurities. The Neville Energising Wash Tube contains a stimulating botanical blend of sugar cane, lemon, seaweed and pumpkin to energise and awaken the senses. Formulated with naturally derived ingredients, the rich lather gently exfoliates the skin whilst invigorating and moisturising all in one.

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There’s nothing worse than aching joints and strained muscles after a workout. Once you’ve showered and dried off, massage some Jack Black Dragon Ice Relief & Recovery Balm onto sore muscles. The healing formula soothes pain and relieves tension to speed up recovery post-workout. Ingredients menthol, Dragon’s Blood, MSM, arnica and Willowherb lessen the discomfort that comes from inflamed muscles, providing immediate relief that lasts.

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Ensure you get the most out of your gym workout with the Shiseido Men’s Body Creator Abdomen Toning Gel. This powerful gel redefines and firms any areas in need of extra toning. Simply massage in this powerful gel across your abdomen, arms and any other areas for more defined muscles. You’ll be able to see the results from your workout in a shorter amount of time. It’s also suitable for all skin types.

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Now you’ve exercised and groomed your body, you need to protect and repair the skin on your face. The Lab Series Skincare For Men Pro LS All-In-One Face Treatment soothes the skin and calms the look of irritation and redness. After a workout, your skin is likely to be oily, dry and unprotected from daily aggressors. This serum absorbs oil instantly whilst replenishing hydration and rebuilding the moisture barrier for a cleaner, clearer complexion. Skin will be left mattified to keep it looking fresh and healthy.

What gym recovery tips can you not live without? Let us know over on Twitter: @Mankindcouk 



Vanessa

Vanessa

Writer and expert

Creative storyteller. Believer in the power of natural ingredients and cruelty-free formulas. Always puts skincare first for a no-makeup look.