Even before you hit the gym, you might have made plans of all your post-workout activities. Fitness is a lifestyle and not only restricted to your time in the gym, hence much importance should be attached to your post-workout activities as well. While going to the gym can become a routine, if post-workout mistakes are made, they can minimize the benefits of gym sessions. This article will identify the 7 things to do after a gym workout.
End it slowly
Don’t end the exercise abruptly.
During the final sessions of your exercise, always take it slowly to allow your body to recognise the change. Your body temperature increased during the exercise and you need to take time to cool down to your normal body temperature. Do you remember how dizzy you felt the last time you suddenly ended your indoor biking? You don’t have to put your body through such harsh treatment. Learn to end your exercise steadily.
1. Stretch
Stretching helps to lessen the feeling of soreness and speeds up your recovery duration. The built-up tension during the workout can be deflated after a refreshing body stretch. You can find interesting stretching exercises on www.fitness1stgym.com. Stretching exercises are beneficial to your bones, muscle and mind. A good and effective body stretch relaxes the mind and steadily helps the muscles to recover.
2. Drink some water
It is important to drink enough water before and after gym sessions. Replenish the water your body lost during your workout routine by drinking enough water when you close from the gym. When you drink enough water after a workout, your muscle flexibility and strength will increase. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, you should drink about two to three cups of water after working out for each pound of weight your body lost during each workout. It’s a known fact that the body is made up of about 70% of liquid, hence you should replenish as much as you lose. You will cause a lot of harm to your body if your next workout session is within the next 12 hours.
3. Take off your gym clothes
Exercising causes your body to give off a lot of sweat. It is unsanitary to keep your gym clothes on even after you end your gym session. Make good use of the changing rooms at your gym, take extra attire and change into new clothes if you can. This leaves you feeling fresh and more confident to interact with others, both in the gym and outside.
4. Freshen up
Avoid using hot water to bath after your workout. Opt for a cooler temperature of bathwater. This will further help to lower the temperature of your body and reduces the probability of body soreness the next day. Even if you do not sweat a lot, take a cool shower after your session in the gym. When you do this, you will avoid getting contaminated with bacteria and other germs you might have gotten in touch with at the gym.
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5. Allow your muscles to repair
A good workout plan has a balance of both intense and mild exercises. If you want your muscles to repair well and rapidly, you don’t have to pile up so many intense exercises day after day. If you need help in drafting and scheduling workout routines that give maximum results and allows your muscles to repair, visit Fitness 1 Gym and schedule a meeting with the trainers.
6. Eat the right meal
Eating after a gym session is necessary. Regular exercises work hand in hand with healthy diets to help achieve your fitness goals. The meal you eat after your workout could reduce the effectiveness of your workout. If you don’t want all your time and effort at the gym to be in vain, avoid eating junk food and foods rich in calories after your gym workout. The meal you take after a workout can also affect your next workout session. Eat the right meal and get the best out of your workout routines.
CONSIDER THESE HEALTHY MEALS AFTER A WORKOUT SESSION.
Choosing the right proportion of meals can help stimulate the repair and growth of new muscles. As much as you pay much attention to your pre-workout meal, you should do the same to your post-workout meal, because they both play significant roles in maximizing the benefits of your workout routine.
Adequate servings of protein provide your body with the right amount of amino acids it needs for repair and rebuilds. Carbohydrates also function as aids to help replenish the glycogen stores the body used during the workout. For gym enthusiasts who exercise twice in a day, it is helpful to consume carbohydrates in good quantity to help rebuild glycogen stores.
Although including fat in your post-workout meal does not negatively affect your recovery, it is advisable to limit its intake because fat could slow down the absorption of the workout meal.
The consumption of post-workout meals helps to supply the body with the right proportions of nutrients that will make you get the best out of your workout.
Consider these eating these meals after your next workout:
- Dark, leafy green vegetables
- Rice
- Chocolate milk
- Animal or plant-based protein powder
- Fruits
- Sweet potatoes
- Avocado
- Greek yoghurt
- Eggs
- Chicken
- Nuts
- Dried fruits and nuts
- Tuna
- Oatmeal
According to many experts, post-workout meals are recommended within 45 minutes of finished workout activity.
Now you know the ingredients or foods that can help in your post-workout recovery. These fast and easy post-workout meal suggestions could further simplify your work.
- Tuna salad sandwich on whole-grain bread.
- Sweet potatoes with salmon
- Granola, greek yoghurt and berries.
- Tuna on whole wheat is low in calories and contains both carbohydrates and fats in their right quantities. This is a well-portioned meal for gym enthusiasts.
- Cereal and skim milk
- Peanut butter with crackers
POST WORKOUT WORSTS THINGS YOU NEED TO AVOID
Don’t make your efforts in the gym counterproductive. These negative attitudes could slow down your fitness achievements, avoid them.
- You engage in arduous tasks
You can easily get distracted to engage in heavy house chores right after a workout session because you might feel capable to do so. But you need to give enough recovery time to your muscles. Lifting heavy equipment or even engaging in energy-draining house chores could cause muscle soreness. Your muscles just engaged in a rigorous gym session and you should take some hours off heavy duties and tasks.
- You lay in bed all-day
Don’t get caught up in the attitude of staying all day doing nothing but eating and watching Netflix. Just like slowly ending a workout session, it is important to still engage your body in mild physical activity to prevent blood stagnation and help in muscle rebuild. In an attempt to pamper your body after an effective gym session, take heed not to rather cause harm to the body.
- You don’t consume enough nutrients
Your pre-workout and post-workout meals both play a vital role in maximizing the benefits from your workout routine. Take enough water to keep your body hydrated. Consider the post-workout meals suggested in this article and prepare some for a quick grab-and-go after a good time in the gym.
- You keep your gym clothes on
No matter how cool you feel in your gym outfit, you need to make a habit of always taking them off as soon as you finish your session. Even if you don’t have immediate access to the bathhouse, you should at least change your clothes, socks, shoes, facemasks and any other attire you used in the gym. This attitude helps to relax your mind and keep your body warm and refreshed.
The food you consume is beneficial to the result you gain from your workout sessions. Even though a majority of gym enthusiasts pay much attention to pre-workout meals, it is important to note that the post-workout meal plays a crucial role as well. People who are unable to eat within 45 minutes of closed gym sessions should try to eat at most within the next 2 hours.
The body loses enough liquid through sweat during workout sessions, and it is for this reason many experts recommend replenishing the lost liquid with enough water or an electrolyte drink.
To achieve workout plans and live a healthy and fit life, there must be a good balance between attitudes and habits exhibited in and outside the gym. Neither of them works perfectly in isolation. Serious people who wish to see maximum results from their workout sessions should painstakingly observe all these seven habits.
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References
Feintuch S, What to Do After a Workout, December 14, 2016, https://www.healthywomen.org/content/article/what-to-do-after-workout
Paul S, The 5 Worst Things to Do After Your Workout, December 16, 2016, https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/g19534382/post-workout-mistakes
Semeco A, Post-Workout Nutrition: What to Eat After a Workout, September 20, 2016, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/eat-after-workout#section7