If you have just jumpstarted your fitness goals or are an advanced muscle builder, waking up to a sore body is a common issue, especially if you’re picking up new skills or activating new muscles. While it is okay to feel sore after a new workout or a strenuous one, feeling muscle soreness every time is a sign that your muscles are not getting the chance to recover.
To prevent your muscles from feeling sore after every workout, you need to ensure that you give your muscles the right nutrients and enough time to recover.
Here are 7 things you should follow every day to speed up the process of muscle recovery.
Drink enough water
When you work out, your body loses a lot of fluid through sweat. It is essential to replenish these fluids since water plays a very important role in metabolic functions and the transfer of nutrients in the body.
When you drink water after working out, it not only helps in getting rid of harmful toxins but also prevents dehydration, which is one of the major reasons for muscles to feel sore. The American Council on Exercise recommends drinking 8 ounces of water no later than 30 minutes after your workout.
Consume pre-workout supplements
For your muscles to rebuild and recover, you need to provide them with the right nutrients even before you start working out. One way to do this is to consume products rich in Branch-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs). The GNC AMP Gold Series BCAA Advanced with Vitamin B6 increases muscle growth, reduces fatigue, helps with weight loss, improves recovery time, and even supports your immune system.
Consuming Creatine provides muscular energy, which supports power, strength, and stamina. The GNC Pro Performance Creatine Monohydrate helps fuel skeletal muscles. It also provides support for immediate energy production while conducting high-intensity workouts.
Warm-up before your workout
To avoid muscle soreness and chances of injury, experts always recommend warming up properly before you start working out. It not only helps increase joint mobility, allowing a greater range of motion for your joints and muscles but also increases the elasticity of your muscles, which prevents any tear and damage.
Stretching your quads, arms, wrists, and legs activates the muscles you will use, allowing them to recover better after your workout.
Cool down after your workout
While warming up is an essential part of muscle recovery, cooling down is just as important. Taking 5-10 minutes to jog slowly, walk or stretch can help your body cool down, especially if you’ve just completed a tough workout. These cool-down exercises and stretches help reduce lactic acid build-up, hence, dipping the chance of muscle cramps and stiffness.
Consume a post-workout snack
After you finish your workout, you need to consume food rich in carbohydrates and protein as it helps decrease muscle protein breakdown, increase muscle protein synthesis, restore glycogen stores, and enhances recovery.
Blend a banana or any of your favorite fruits with GNC AMP Pure Isolate to have a perfect post-workout snack ( Read more ideas of post-workout snacks). This complete snack will not only support optimal muscle growth and muscle recovery after strenuous workouts but will also help reduce fatigue.
Make sure to take your rest days
Do not fall trap to the idea that you need to work out every day to see the best results. Taking rest days every single week can improve your performance rather than hinder it.
Rest days reduce the risks of injury, allow time for muscle recovery, prevent muscle fatigue and soreness, helping you improve your overall performance. On your rest days, you can go for a walk or jog, without straining your muscles too much.
Make sure to get enough sleep
You have probably heard that one should sleep for 7 to 9 hours. But did you know that sleep also impacts your muscle recovery?
During the non-REM sleep of your sleep cycle, you breathe slowly and deeply, with little brain activity, however, the body is in a repair mode. There is an additional supply of blood, oxygen, and nutrients to your muscles, helping them heal, grow and repair. During sleep, the body also releases a growth hormone that helps in tissue growth and muscle repair. Hence, you must make it a point to get a good sleep every night.
By following these tips, you can continue to build muscle healthily, by reducing their wear and tear.
Note: If you make some of these changes to your routine and still find that you get sore more than most people, you should consider speaking with a healthcare professional.
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