1. Stay Active
Light movement or activity will help circulate blood through the muscles. Blood ushers oxygen and nutrients to the muscles to help fuel and rebuild them. It will also help break up and flush the lactic acid out of the muscle immediately after your last reps. Remaining active while your muscles are sore or tight will help keep the muscles from further tightening up by stretching the muscles though a natural range of motion and will minimize joint stiffness. Check out my blog ACTIVE RECOVERY for more info by clicking the link...http://optimumfitness1.weebly.com/blog/archives/11-2013 and http://optimumfitness1.weebly.com/blog/archives/05-2014 You may also check out my blog FEEDER WORKOUTS for a more advanced method of feeding the muscles with nutrient rich blood to improve healing and make better progress... http://optimumfitness1.weebly.com/blog/archives/06-2015
2. Hydration
I could go on for hours on the benefits of proper hydration! Our muscles are composed of 70-80% water! Be sure to give your body enough water to be drawn into the muscle cells. Proper hydration will support metabolic functions required for efficient muscle repair and growth. Remember, hydration also comes in the form of various fruits, veggies and other carbs. However, nothing beats good ol' H2O! Check out my blog on H2O-OOOOOOH for more info by clicking the link... http://optimumfitness1.weebly.com/blog/archives/07-2013
3. Proper Nutrient Intake
We need to give our body the proper building materials to repair and build muscle broken down by exercise and activity. Ensuring we consume complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids is key to recovery. Many people find a post workout shake to be helpful. Generally, it is believed there is an "anabolic window of opportunity" immediately after exercise. This is when it is best to consume a meal with quality protein and complex carbohydrates. Amino acids are the building blocks for muscle growth. Specific amino acids, as I have blogged about in the past are more anabolic than others. Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCCAs) which include leucine, isoleucine and valine have been shown to increase muscle repair and growth. It's important to have proper nutrition to set the foundation for muscle repair and growth as well as a healthy immune system etc. Check out my blog FOODS THAT FIGHT MUSCLE SORENESS for more tips by clicking the link... http://optimumfitness1.weebly.com/blog/archives/09-2013
4. Foam Roller and Massage Rolling out muscles with a foam roller, and or massage help to break up knotted muscles and increase blood flow. This will help with muscle repair. For more info check out THE FOAM ROLLER by clicking the link... http://optimumfitness1.weebly.com/blog/archives/01-2015
5. Rest I can not emphasize enough the need for proper rest for our bodies! Be sure to get enough sleep as well as general relaxation. Our bodies secrete testosterone and natural growth hormone while we get deep sleep. These are our body's natural anabolic hormones designed to build, strengthen and repair cellular damage. There are different factors which will determine how much sleep is required for each individual. These factors include age, fitness level, daily stress levels etc. Check out my blog SLEEP ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS TO EVERY FITNESS PROGRAM for more info...http://optimumfitness1.weebly.com/blog/archives/06-2014
6. Listen To Your Body If you feel exceptionally tired or sore or find your joints ache, you are sick or have lost interest in training, you may have hit a state of over training. This is counterproductive to maintaining a healthy and fit body. It may be time to ease up on the intense workouts or even take a few days to off. Perhaps changing workout activities may help as well. Check out my blog OVER TRAINING - You don't Have To Be Eternal To Be Devine for more info... http://optimumfitness1.weebly.com/blog/archives/03-2014
I know this blog looks like an advertisement for all my past articles written but following these six steps will not only help with muscle soreness but increase your progress toward reaching your fitness goals!