We all know stretching and warming up are important before a workout… So, what do you exactly do after a workout? One’s session shouldn’t just end abruptly. You’ve worked hard, so let’s reap its full potential. :)
Read on for the steps you can take to make your exercise session a more wholesome and rewarding one:
1. Cool down
Do not stop your exercise immediately! This can increase your risk of injuries.
Working out causes your heart rate to increase. By allowing your body to cool down, your heart is able to gradually return to its normal rate, preventing muscle cramps and dizziness.
Having a cool down also decreases the buildup of lactic acid. This buildup in the body can lead to muscle cramping and stiffness. Cooling down the body speeds up the process of lactic acid release, thereby helping your body recover much more efficiently.
Now, how exactly should you perform a cool down? You’d want your body to gradually go back to its resting state, so opt for a low-intensity activity. For example, if you were previously jogging, slow down to a brisk-walk for 5-10 minutes. If you were previously swimming fairly intensively, try some short, casual laps, or simply tread water for a few minutes.
Always remember to take deep breaths while cooling down. You might also feel your body temperature going back to normal. That is why it is called a cool down!
2. Stretches
Stretch, stretch and stretch! It’s very important to stretch out the muscles you used during your workout. You can incorporate stretches after your cool downs. Do not worry, they’re really mini ones!
For example, a standing quad stretch would be suitable for joggers. These types of static stretches are usually held for 15-30 seconds per limb. You can view the different types of stretches here! In addition to stretching, you can make use of a massage ball or foam roller to ease any muscle tenderness, as well as to roll out the myofascial adhesions accumulated (click if you haven’t already learnt about it)! You can do this at home or the gym after you are done with your workout.
3. Drink up!
As you exercise, your body starts to sweat and your body loses its body fluids. Hydrating yourself is essential to replace the fluids you lost. There is a myriad of reasons to hydrate yourself; to maintain normal body function, reduce the risk of heat stress, keep joints lubricated and ensure the organs function properly. [1]
Be careful not to let yourself be dehydrated, whereby your body loses more fluid than you drink. Look out for these signs of dehydration:
- Dry mouth, lips, and eyes
- Decreased urination (less than 4 a day)
- Dark yellow and strong-smelling pee
- Feeling thirsty
How much should I drink?
Everyone is different, so to ensure you adequately replenish your body, you can calculate your sweat rate. [2] This ensures you drink what you’ve lost. Try it out when it’s convenient for you, then for the subsequent workout use it as a guide to gauge how much you should be drinking!
Your sweat rate = (Your weight before exercise) – (Your weight one hour after exercise).
For every kilogram of body weight you lose, aim to replace that with 1 litre (1,000 ml) of water.
If a weighing scale is inaccessible, a general guide would be to drink 1,000 ml of water after your workout session. Small sips as and when you feel like it!
4. Refuel your energy!
Grab something light to eat within 30 minutes after ending your workout. Food allows the muscles in your body to repair and grow. [3] It also gives you back the energy that you used up.
Try adding some mashed avocados to your wholegrain toast and topping that with an egg to fulfill your carbohydrate, healthy fats and protein needs.
5. Take a shower
It goes without saying, but a shower is definitely needed after all the perspiring in our humid climate. Yes, it’ll help you freshen up and smell good again in public, but it does much more than just that! A hot shower can help relieve sore muscles and tension in the body, and increase blood circulation. Showering also thoroughly cleanses you of the bacteria accumulated on your body after sweating. However, note to not hop in the shower immediately after exercising. Wait at least 15-20 minutes. Use this time to cool down (see point 1). 😉
6. Let your body rest
Your body and muscles need time to recover after any intensive activity.
Make sure you get sufficient sleep whenever you’ve had a good workout In fact, you should practice good sleeping habits every night! That said, let’s leave that for a future post!
By ensuring you cool down, stretch and rest well, you will be able to reap the maximum benefits of a workout!
Till the next post, happy exercising! :)
References
[1] Harvard School of Public Health. Water [online] Retrieved from: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/water/
[2] ActiveSG. (March 18 2018) Proper Hydration For Exercise. [online] Retrieved from:
https://www.myactivesg.com/read/2016/3/proper-hydration-for-exercise
[3] HealthHub. (December 21 2021) What to Eat Before and After a Workout. [online] Retrieved from: https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/1778/food-to-fuel-your-workouts