Simply working hard is often not enough for success. You also need to be smart enough to make your efforts productive and not blunt. If you are into fitness training, going flat out during your workouts is important. But equally important is the fact that unless you recover fully from a strenuous session, there’s no use hitting the gym again. This is why it is necessary for you to have a clear idea about post-exercise recovery techniques.

After an intense workout, you usually the following changes happen in your body:

Microscopic tears in your muscles as a result of strain.

Build up of lactic acid in your muscles, which causes a burning sensation in your body.
A feeling soreness in your joints and muscles.

Lack of nutrition and fluids.

Recovery after exercise involves correcting these changes before you workout again. And how well you recover can be the fine line between success and failure with your fitness plan.

This is one of the important reasons why you should hire a personal trainer. A personal trainer can not only tell you how to exercise effectively but also oversee your recovery after every session.

In case you are completely new to exercise it is natural for you to be clueless about the methods of recovery. So, here are some basic techniques you should have an idea about.

1. Cooling down. You must never stop exercising all of a sudden. If you do so, the lactic acid accumulated in your muscles will remain as it is and you might experience severe soreness. A cooling down routine allows your muscles to get rid of the lactic acid better by regulating the flow of blood though the capillaries.

A proper cooling-down regimen also facilitates the gradual decrease of your body temperature. It is important that your core dissipates the excess heat generated as a result of exercise into the environment, to get your body temperature back to normal.

2. Nutrition replenishment. After a rigorous workout it is important to give your body,
Carbohydrates: sufficient carbs allow protein synthesis which is responsible for repairing the micro-ruptures in your muscles with new tissue. Even if you eat lots of proteins post exercise, you cannot gain anything unless you have enough carbs to fuel a reaction. A lack of carbs, post-exercise, can actually cause your body to go into a catabolic state and break down muscle tissue.

Electrolytes: all athletes take salty drinks to offset the loss of sodium, potassium and calcium, after a game or workout session. You too should do the same to give yourself back these electrolytes in their ionic state. While plain water is also necessary, try to replace these salts for faster recovery.

3. Rest. This is perhaps the most fundamental technique for recovery. What do you do when you feel tired? You rest. The same logic applies to post-exercise recovery as well and your muscles and joints can relax before you go in to train again.

Use these recovery techniques in consultation with your trainer. This is the best way to ensure that you start off every session with renewed vigor!

Author Bio: A great way to get in shape is by working out with Crystal Lake personal trainers and their fitness program which can get you into amazing shape. For other locations such as their personal trainers in Huntley, IL be sure to check out their site.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: post-exercise, exercise recovery, workout recovery, fitness recovery, post-workout