Just because you ran your last lap or did your last set doesn’t mean the workout is over. In fact, what you do after your workout is just as important as what you do during it. After any workout (be it cardio or iron exercises), the muscles get tired and begin to break down. Immediately after training, the processes of tissue restructuring, increasing strength and general recovery begin to occur.

Research by American physiologists has proven that the post-workout phase is a critical part of any exercise program. Below are five basic actions that you should perform after each workout.

Hitch.

There’s a reason the treadmill has a “Cool Down” feature: when you’re exercising, you’re putting in a lot of effort, like 8 out of 10, and your body needs help getting back to 1 out of 10. Think back to your high school days., after running long distances, the physical education teacher made them go 1-2 more laps around the stadium to cool down. The fact is that the sudden cessation of physical activity can lead to a drop in blood pressure and severe dizziness. So after your morning run, slow down and just walk for 3-5 minutes (or more if your run was particularly intense).

Cooling down is even more important after strength training. After lifting heavy weights, do dynamic exercises such as lunges or swings. It is necessary to return the pulse to normal – about 100-120 beats per minute.

Stretching.

After strength training or cardio, your muscles warm up and become more flexible and elastic. It is at this time that you can work on your stretching. Stretching helps relieve tension in the muscles. And while stretching doesn’t reduce the chance of injury, it does reduce post-workout pain in the quads, calves, and thighs. Among other things, stretching maintains good blood circulation in key areas, and also speeds up the healing process of muscles. Technically, you need to stretch all the major muscles in 4 repetitions of 15-60 seconds. However, this can take a long time (up to 40 minutes). If you are limited in time, then I advise you to stretch with a single exercise.

To complete it, you will need towel. Лягте на спину, поднимите одну ногу вверх и оберните вокруг нее towel. Then, begin to pull the towel at both ends with your hands, thereby pulling your leg to your chest. Hold the leg in this position for a few seconds, then repeat the exercises with the other leg.

Drink more water.

Every time you move, you use up fluid reserves. After an intense workout, you need to replenish this stock. Thanks to this, you will reduce pain in the muscles, as well as increase strength and flexibility. How much water should you drink after a workout? To answer this question, it is enough to weigh yourself before and after training. The difference in the results obtained will be the amount of fluid lost during this time. This is how much water you need to drink + 25-50% to make up for what you lose with urine.

Drink a protein shake.

Regardless of the time of training – whether it be morning, afternoon or evening – I advise you to drink a protein shake at the end of it. It is advisable to do this within 30 minutes after the end of the workout, when the protein window is open. It is at this time that the muscles absorb the most nutrients. Shake will return the lost carbohydrates and proteins to the muscles, which will help them rebuild and become stronger. The correct ratio of carbohydrates to proteins is about 4 to 1. If for some reason you cannot or do not want to drink a protein shake, you can replace it with a glass of chocolate milk. The only drawback of this replacement is the high sugar content.

Massage.

Some studies refute the role of massage in muscle recovery, while others believe that massage helps speed up muscle recovery, as well as reduce swelling and damage. If you cannot afford a post-workout massage, you can buy special massagers. They are not as effective as regular massage and are unlikely to bring tangible physiological benefits, but you will at least get emotional and psychological satisfaction. Make sure that the massage is not too strong, because you do not want to further damage the vulnerable muscles after training.