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To enjoy the benefits of your workout, you must go through a recovery process the rest of the day. This downtime will actually make you stronger and leaner. It will help increase your energy, reduce any soreness and make weight loss more efficient. Here are 4 simple ways that you can help your body recover after a tough workout.
1. Sleep
Sleep is so important and has many benefits for the body. An average of seven to nine hours a night can help that body repair muscle tissue from the day’s workout. This amount of sleep is necessary to meet those body-shaping goals!
2. Eat
Re-fueling the body after that workout is another component in the recovery process. Enjoy a protein-packed snack 30 minutes to an hour after your workout to feed the lean muscle. This post-workout snack could include a hard boiled egg, a smoothie made with low-fat milk or greek yogurt, or peanut butter with apple slices.
3. Massage
If you can indulge, a post-workout massage is an awesome treat for the body. Massaging reduces inflammation in the tissue and increases blood flow for a speedy recovery. If you aren’t able to splurge for the massage, a foam roller will do just as well. Roll out all those sore areas!
4. Hydrate With Water
Water, water everywhere! Dehydration will slow your metabolic rate. So after burning those fat cells for hours, you could be off setting the calorie burn if you aren’t drinking enough water. You will need more than the recommended 8 ounces a day; it will take an additional 16-20 ounces for every hour you spend at the gym. So drink up!
Author Bio
Sabra Ivey and Monica Massey are two friends connected by their passions for living healthy, staying fit, loving their families, playing with style, and having some fun along the way! About a year ago, while siting in a local coffee shop in Raleigh, someone mentioned they should start a blog and share tips, fun stories, pictures, etc. of their lifestyle experiences together, and Alive With Style was born.