Most of us head straight to taking a shower and resting once we are done with workouts. Well guess what? Fitness does not end as soon as you finish your workout.

The mental process whilst you’ re working out is all about “let me get this done so that I can rest.” We are all guilty of this, quickly resting as soon as we are done with an intense work our session. I mean we all deserve to rest right after a workout session? However, the post workout routine is just as important as the actual work out. Here’s why;

1. consume proteins post workout

No we are all aware of what protein shakes are. We have seen them on our social media pages and have seen people actively consuming them at the work place or any public vicinity. After an intense workout your muscles are depleted from the energy that was used up. So it is only right to fuel them up with nutrients which helps with the muscle repair process. This is vital for all those who are trying to get toned muscles. This is advised thirty to sixty minutes after you’ve finished with your exercise. You’re probably asking why you can’t just have some other food with carbs or protein in it right? Well lets face it guys, you are pretty much exhausted after the workout routine and liquid is the easiest way for your body to absorb protein, so why not have some easily accessible and convenient like a protein shake.

2. take l-glutamine supplements after your workout

If you are one of those people doing the heavy weights, or trying to have a perkier butt, L-Glutamines is something you should consider. It also helps to repair the muscles damage during a workout. It has also been known to stimulate metabolism and increase weight loss. However, the best thing to do is check in with your doctor first so they can confirm how many dosages your body should be consume with this.

3. consume a lot of h20 pre and post workout

Water!!! Yes, water is a must. Cooling down after your work out is needed and the best solution for this is hydrating with water. It is recommended to drink eight to ten ounces of water after an intense workout says David from the American Council Exercise.  He further explains that you should drink pre and post workout. It is a risk to your body if you are generally not drinking water after your workout sessions. Dehydration can cause numerous numbers of things. For instance, fatigue, depression and even cramps. Your body could also have a hard time regulating to the temperature and then could later potentially cause heat exhaustion which could turn into a heat stroke. Always have a bottle of water near you during your everyday activities. As water can prevent several things.

4. change your clothes

Some of us might be like okay this is a little obvious. However, you’ll be shocked to find out that some of us do not immediately change our clothes once we are done with a workout. David explains that there is a “high possibility of fungus growing in moist crevices of your body.” One other thing to keep in mind is that if your body is prone to acne then you should take a shower right after your workout, cause your sweat could be the build-up of acne after an exercise session. Bacteria can cause some acne. Most workout clothes are tight so this should give you an idea of how bacteria could potentially build up and be soaked in the longer you leave on the exercise clothes.

5. stretch your muscles

Stretching your muscles after your workout should always be part of your workout routine. All though this one is self-explanatory, try stick around your work out session for another 10 minutes or so. A proper cooling off period with stretches is possible just as important as the actual workout. After a high intense work make sure you target the major muscles like the hips, shoulders, and hamstrings. Hold each stretch for about thirty to sixty seconds whilst breathing deeply. Make sure your movements are fluid and not aggressive as you do not want to end up tearing any muscles.

If you have any props at home or are exercising with the partner, you can hold the stretches a little longer by holding onto them as this will intensify the stretch by adding the pressure.

If you are a little lost on what these stretches could be here are a few examples for guidance. You could try the runner plunges, lower back stretches, kneeling quad stretches.

6. massage equipment for post workout

Something to add on your list of home exercise equipment is the therapy and massage gun. Why pay extra for a massage every time you need one when you can use the massage gun. It helps to relax your muscles and encourages blood flow and promotes muscles warm up and recovery. The HOPOSO Massage Gun can be found on amazon and in our list of products.

When using the massage gun make sure you find areas of tenderness and thoroughly rub the gun on the areas until you feel the tension releasing.  You don’t have to only use a massage gun there are other items like foam rollers and lacrosse balls that are just as effective when it comes to releasing muscle tension.

7. magnesium

Some people might experience bad muscle cramps after a workout session. The cause of this is sometimes due to a loss of magnesium as they could potentially be low from the workout. Magnesium is used in everything your body does during an effective workout.

There is a loss of magnesium every time we work out.  Most of the sweat we lose from our body consist of some magnesium. One way to restore magnesium is eating foods that are rich in magnesium for instance; regular milk, almonds, dark vegetables, fish and some avocado.