Post-Workout Aftercare Tips

Burning lungs sweat drenched active wear and screaming muscles are a great sign of a decent workout, right?

You may encounter some nasty experiences when pushing your body to its absolute limits – but it’s definitely worth it for that feeling of achievement you get from challenging yourself.

When your body is pushed to its limits a common experience for some people new to exercise or for anyone completing a challenging workout is having delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)

DOMS can be best described as a dull muscle ache, combined with muscle stiffness and tenderness. Have you ever tried to walk up a flight of stairs after a massive leg day and struggled? That’s exactly what we’re talking about!

DOMS is caused by microscopic tears created in your muscle fibers. Our bodies respond to these tears by increasing inflammation to help repair the muscles.   This is all completely natural and is exactly how our bodies build muscle, by repairing damaged muscle fibres in order to strengthen them.

There’s no way to avoid sore muscles, however there are ways to help ease the aches and pains and speed the recovery process.

Here’s some tips on how to relieve those sore muscles:

Keep moving – as tempting as it sounds, never immediately put your feet up and crash on the couch. Staying still and not moving can prolong your recovery time. Why not take a walk outside, this will help your body to recover properly.

Light stretching – this is a great way to stimulate those sore muscles. Stretch slowly for 10-15 minutes and hold each stretch for around 30 seconds.

Foam rolling – by doing this, you’re basically giving yourself a deep tissue massage!

Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate! – Always ensure you’re drinking plenty of fluids post workout. We recommend a minimum of 3L of water per day.

Want to get in touch with us? We’d love to hear from you and help you start you on your fitness journey! Contact us here 08 9328 2002 or hello@innercityfitness.com.au