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Muscle recovery after a tough morning session

After a punishing strength workout the day before, do you wake up with stiff and sore muscles? Micro tears are created in the muscle during tough workouts, and it will need time (general guide is 48 hours) to recover. Here are our muscle recovery tips to follow so you can return to the gym better than ever!

1. Rest – Get some sleep. Having at least 7+ hours of quality sleep repairs our muscles, as growth hormone (HGH) is released helping our muscles regenerate and recover from strain. Not only does sleep help your muscles grow, it recharges your brain. When you wake up rested, you wake up with a positive mindset – ready for the day. Light exercise can also drive blood flow to your muscles to help with the recovery process, try a brisk walk, jogging or swimming.

2. Nutrition –  It goes without saying that consuming adequate amounts of protein is needed to help your muscles recover. Keep your fluids up: drink water to flush out those toxins. If you want to know which supplements can help your body recover,

  • Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil to reduce inflammation),
  • Magnesium and Zinc (these nutrients are expelled from muscles during exercise and are essential minerals for normal muscle function, and play a central role in the conversion of carbohydrates to energy), and
  • Vitamin B6 – aids the absorption of Magnesium and Zinc.

3. Massage & Foam Rolling – Massage from a trained therapist can be beneficial and speed up recovery. A cost effective option would be to use a foam roller, to help loosen some knots in your muscles and help with increasing blood flow to the targeted muscles. Who doesn’t love a good massage? Ask the Cornerstone team for help on how to roll!

4. Yoga –  Many Yoga poses will help stretch your limbs, decrease your muscle pain and improve your flexibility for your next workout. Get your zen on by taking a Yoga class, or taking time on your rest day to stretch it out.

Muscular fatigue and pain can be a huge demotivator in your lifestyle journey but do not be discouraged. When you experience muscle aches post workout, this means you are building muscle! You are doing great!