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No matter what your size, age or shape, you've no doubt set yourself some health and fitness goals. Your main focus will be on how to get the most out of your training sessions, but did you know that your days off are just as important as your days in the gym?
If you're feeling pain or tightness on your non-workout days, you can use a long, semi-soft foam tube to give your muscles a massage. Foam rolling breaks up scar tissue and knotting in your fascia, which, if left unattended can lead to nagging aches and pains in your joints. Spend at least 30-60 seconds minimum rolling your sore muscle groups immediately upon waking and before bed on your recovery days to help repair damaged tissue.
Exercising while dehydrated has been shown to cause greater damage to muscles and reduce the body's ability to repair itself. But before reaching for Gatorade, remember that good old H2O is more often enough for you to completely hydrate. While we endorse replenishing fluids on your recovery day, this does not extend to the golden ale. Those of us who are accustomed to a few drinks at the end of a hard day might want to think twice before imbibing. Research suggests more than one or two drinks after working out could reduce the body's ability to recover and restock its glycogen stores.
Many athletes swear by ice baths, ice massage or contrast water therapy (alternating hot and cold showers) to recover faster, reduce muscle soreness and prevent injury. The theory behind this method is that by repeatedly constricting and dilating blood vessels helps remove (or flush out) waste products in the tissues. If you are suffering from serious muscle pain and have exhausted other options, a cold bath might do the trick. Limited research has found some benefits of contrast water therapy at reducing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
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