Recovery Tips for Gym Newbies

Every beginning tends to be hard and this fact is very well known to the gym newcomers who are facing post-workout muscle soreness, or the Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) how experts like to call it. But, while DOMS can be great achievement indicator proving that philosophy of “No pain, no gain”, no matter how old it may seem, makes basis of every successful workout, it is only a half-truth and the other half, that is much less quoted, is that proactive and carefully planned recovery is equally as important. So, let’s see several ways how you can reduce DOMS and reinforce results you achieved in the gym.

Sleep Sufficiently

Sleep is an essential ingredient in every successful post-workout recovery process because without it you are running a risk of facing altered mood, reduced tolerance to training and increased sense of fatigue. Also, during a sleep your body increases concentration and activity of muscle-building anabolic hormones, so try developing regular sleeping routine that will include going to bed in similar time each day, 8 hours of sleep during night and short 30 minutes nap during the day to bring your body in optimal recovery condition.

Get the Right Nutrition

After you have depleted all the energy stores during the gym session, your body will need refuel in order to get stronger, repair damaged tissues and prepare itself for the next workout challenge. That’s why you should eat approximately 50 grams of carbohydrates, which are very important for refilling your body with glycogen stores and 30 grams of protein, or choose some of the post-workout tasty drinks that will supply you with the right combination of ingredients. Well-balanced meal should come 2 hours after workout.

Boost Circulation during Recovery

Although different body types require different approach to exercising, one thing they all have in common is that they need good blood circulation to improve oxygen and nutrient distribution throughout to body and help waste products to exit. Stretching immediately after the exercise will certainly set you on the right foot. Follow this path with long walks that will improve metabolic activity and massages that will enhance circulation and reduce fatigue and muscle stiffness during recovery days.

Importance of Hydrating

Not only does dehydration reduces optimal performance potential during the workout, it also prolongs recovery process. Because the fact that water supports every metabolic function and nutrient distribution, adequate fluid consumption is of the utmost importance. Make no excuses and intake at least 2.7 liters of water per day if you are a lady and 3.7 liters if you are a male.

Rest!

Having a solid recovery schedule is as important now as it will be when you become more experienced and your workouts more intense and that’s why is important to learn in this early stages that successful recovery demands some rest time and if you force yourself too much or purposefully seek fatigue everything can fall apart. Be sure to have at least 24-72 hours rest time between workout sessions that involve same groups of muscles or you are risking both slowing your progress and hurting yourself in the process.

Try using these advices and you will see that you will not only improve your results but feel better as well, and that is essentially the reason why every one of us started going to gym in the first place. Now, plan your workout schedule, pay more attention to recovery process and everything will be just fine.

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This guest post was written by Kate Flannery, Editor in Chief at Highstyle Life.