3 Tips To Help You Recover From An Intense Workout

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Maintaining a workout routine requires dedication, focus, and drive. It’s tempting to quit or scale back when the going gets tough, but it’s entirely possible to push through even the most strenuous workouts. With the right mental state, proper nutrition, and adequate rest when your body needs it, you can be closer to your goal than you think!

Fuel Your Body The Right Way

Before you exercise, try a pre-workout shake featuring ingredients to give you the energy and focus to power through the toughest training sessions. After you’re done, you’ll need to give your body extra nutrients to repair muscle and sustain energy. If you’re on the go, try a vegan protein smoothie recipe to give yourself the boost you need quickly and efficiently. Or, if you’d prefer a cooked meal, bake some lean chicken breast with some of your favorite veggies; it’s easy, filling, and will give you the nutrients you need to recover from your workout.

Adequate hydration is another essential “fuel” component for a healthy fitness routine before, during, and after each and every workout. When you sweat, your body loses the water, salts, and electrolytes that help your body to function and regulate its processes; you have to replace these components constantly so you don’t become dehydrated. Aim to drink plenty of water throughout the day, whether you’re working out or not. During workouts, be sure to constantly replace the fluids you are losing but don’t overdo it by chugging tons of water at a time; that can make you very sick! Slow and steady rehydration will allow your body to incorporate the fluids you are replacing effectively.

Check Your Mental State

Working out is very tough physically, but truthfully, it’s even more demanding mentally. Sometimes, it’s hard to imagine yourself completing that last lap or doing that last rep, and that’s where mental toughness comes into play. If you need a little extra help cultivating this particular skill, there are things you can do! Courses such as the 75 hard program will teach you step by step the mental toughness you need to achieve your goals in the gym, as well as in life. Be sure to not overwhelm yourself; concentrate your focus on small, achievable goals, and slowly increase them over time. Not only will you become physically stronger, but your mental toughness will begin to catch up as you progress.

Rest, But Not Too Much

After a grueling workout, your body will need time to rest and recover, but this isn’t an invitation to slowly turn back into a couch potato. When you have a rest day scheduled into your routine, use it to move your body in a more gentle way. A leisurely walk, stretching, or light yoga will keep your focus on your fitness without overtaxing your body.

Receiving a massage is also a relaxing way to recover from a particularly strenuous workout. Massages break down adhesions in your tissues thus increasing blood flow which flushes out waste products that make you feel stiff and sore, so you can recover more efficiently. And, of course, they also feel amazing! If you can’t fit a massage into your schedule or budget, never fear, you can also accomplish much of this yourself by using some at-home self-massage techniques.

If you’re focused, driven, and determined in your mindset, your workout won’t seem quite as hard! You’ll have a solid foundation in place to build your lifestyle upon. Also, by properly fueling and hydrating your body, and resting when you need to, you’ll have the tools at hand to successfully complete (and recover from!) any workout that comes your way.