Taking good care of your body is incredibly important. After all, you only have one. Exercising and pushing your body to its limits is great, but allowing it to rest is equally crucial. If you do not allow your body to rest, your muscles will not develop and that’s exactly what you want to avoid, right?

Don’t let all those workout sessions go to waste. Give your body some time to heal and build muscle tissue. How much time is proper for adequate recovery? If you plan out your recovery period correctly and follow the tips below you'll be able to more efficiently increase muscle strength.

Let’s take a look at how you can recover from a workout faster than ever and still get your muscles to grow.

Consume Protein

As you probably already know, protein is a molecule comprised of substances called amino acids. These acids are basically the building blocks of protein. Your body needs amino acids to repair damaged muscle fibers, and depending on your workout plan, make them grow.

Eating a light protein-rich snack before you go to bed will allow your body to regenerate while you’re sleeping. Recharge your body again in the morning by eating a breakfast high in protein, such as eggs or quinoa. 

Stop Drinking Alcohol 

Now, you don’t really have to stop drinking alcohol entirely (even though that would be preferable), you just need to avoid drinking it at certain times. Research shows that drinking alcohol after you’ve been working out can seriously reduce the body’s ability to recover.

There’s one other thing, alcohol has no real nutritional value. Don’t hamper your recovery efforts by putting alcohol into your system.

Eat Potassium-Rich Foods

You’ve probably seen a tennis match or two in your life, right? Have you ever noticed that tennis players often eat bananas? That’s because bananas are an excellent source of potassium that helps the body refuel and reduce the chances of getting cramps.

By including potassium-rich foods into your meal post-workout, you’ll avoid getting cramps, reduce your blood pressure, lower bad cholesterol and reduce chances of getting a heart disease.

Hydrate

Faster recovery is just a few glasses of water away! Exercising while dehydrated can cause muscle loss and seriously reduce your body’s ability to repair itself. In most cases regular water is fine, but if you’re really looking to replenish fluids, alkaline water is the way to go.

Research suggests that consuming alkaline water has a similar effect to consuming buffering agents such as sodium bicarbonate which long distance runners regularly consume to help their bodies recover.

Your DYLN Living Water Bottle should be your best friend. It makes alkaline water on the go and helps reduce plastic waste, which means you’ll be saving the planet and your body at the same time. Be a superhero and do the right thing.

Listen to Music

Sounds weird but it's true. Relaxing and soothing music can lower your blood pressure and pulse rate, especially after a long and tiring exercise. You probably have a playlist with songs that get you motivated for working out, so why don’t you make one for the recovery process as well?

Get a Massage

There’s nothing quite like getting a good back rub after working out. A massage will reduce stiffness that can happen while your muscles are recovering and break up scar tissue.

Ice baths and anti-inflammatory medication can reduce inflammation, but they will also block muscle repair and growth. Avoid them and opt for a massage instead.

Wear Clothes That Fit

Wearing quality clothing while working out is underestimated, but it shouldn’t be. A huge number of sprinters, basketball players and bodybuilders wear compression shorts, socks, and other garments because they improve blood flow and boost athletic performance.

Be sure you also wear comfortable clothing that fit your body type. If you’re a size XL, don’t wear L. You be adjusting it constantly and it will only constrict your movement. By wearing clothes that actually fit your body you’ll greatly reduce the risk of an injury, and will be able to work out properly.

Conclusion

Work out like a beast and take the necessary steps to avoid getting injured (because the recovery process for that will probably be as long as winter in Game of Thrones). Unfortunately, you don’t have Deadpool’s regenerative powers, which means that you–unlike him–actually have to take care of yourself before, during and post workout to ensure you’ll feel better than ever!