3 Best Ways to Cool Down After a Workout

Regular exercise helps with maintaining a healthy weight and lowers your risk for serious health problems. If you are going to exercise, then you need to cool down. Cooling down helps your body to transition back to a steady state of rest. Read on to find out the three best ways to cool down after a workout.

Apply Heat To Your Muscles

It is beneficial to use heat to cool down after a workout. Heat should be applied to the inflamed area. Heat application works by encouraging blood flow, expanding your blood vessels, relaxing muscled and relieving muscle stiffness. For these reasons, heat therapy makes an excellent post-workout tool.

A heat wrap is one of the products used with heat therapy to target specific muscle groups. It’s a safe and convenient way to apply heat to different parts of your body. This particular treatment is generally for large muscle groups found in the neck, shoulders, and back, but it can also be used for other muscles groups found in your upper arms, thighs and calves. Some have even reported that it can alleviate abdominal aches and cramps.

Stretch After Your Workout

Stretching your key muscle groups is essential for cooling down after exercising. It keeps the muscles strong, flexible and healthy. Flexibility is vital for maintaining the range of motion in your joints. A good stretch helps delayed onset muscle soreness and prevents unnecessary injuries. If you do not stretch, then your muscles will shorten and tighten.

When your muscles are in this state, they will not perform properly when called on for activity. Your muscles will not fully extend and tend to be weak. This results in strains, joint pain, and muscle damage.

Refuel Your Body

Proper hydration is essential after a workout for proper recovery and to maintain endurance. You should drink water within 30 minutes after exercising. Drinking water helps with repairing any muscles damaged during the workout. You also need to refuel your body with carbohydrates and protein.

The body tends to burn a lot of carbohydrates when exercising. Carbohydrates provide fuel to your muscles. Your muscles store protein and carbohydrates, which provides them with energy. These nutrients also help with your recovery.

You want to eat foods with protein, which helps with growing and repairing your muscles. These foods may include peanut butter, baked potatoes, and whole grain bagels. Many athletes or health conscious individuals also use supplements to help give them energy, to reduce fatigue, to maximize their metabolism, and to assist in proper neurotransmission!

A cool down massage is another way to recover and preserve your body. It is important to get regular exercise. However, you must take safety precautions to return your body to its normal state.