Aching muscles, fatigue, and feeling sore is your body telling you to get some rest and take a day off from working out. Even though you feel as if you’ll miss a lot of progress by letting a day pass by, it’s always important to listen to your body and let it rest and recover, it can also help those muscles to build up. And to help you with that, here are five tips for your optimal rest and recovery:
- Meditation
Meditation is a great tool to help you with your emotional stress. Stress can come in the form of worry, tension, and anxiety. Meditation is a correlative mind-body medicine that provides relaxation, physical and mental wellness, and peace of mind.
- Stretching or foam rolling
Stretching is a way to neutralize muscle tightness. It increases the range of motion of your joints and it also helps with your blood flow. This helps to place the muscle in its composed and relaxed state.
Foam rolling massages allow the release of tightness of taut and knotted muscles. Use a foam roller for five to ten minutes on all the muscles that you focused on during your workout. Regularly doing this will help you lessen the soreness regardless of the intensity of your workout.
- Nutrition
Nutrition is an essential part of your optimal body function. This serves as the fuel for your active lifestyle. You should be consuming a balanced proportion of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Keep in mind that your calories must meet your total daily energy disbursement in order to keep you energized.
- Stress management
Identify your current stressors then create boundaries by making sure that you dedicate space upholding balance. Focus on living a balanced life by taking your time to socialize with friends and having fun.
- Active rest days
Active rest days mean keeping your blood flowing by having a low-intensity workout. Partake in any low-intensity exercises such as yoga, cycling, and swimming.
Hi! My name is Kimmy B, I am the co-host of the We’reHard podcast. I have a passion for fitness, nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. I’ve always loved working out and staying active but recently found my groove in the fitness industry.