When it comes to recovering faster after a high intensity workout session, contrary to popular believe you don’t need to invest money into dangerous supplements or expensive equipment. Here are 5 of the simplest, cost effective things you can do when it comes to recovering faster from your workout sessions.

1) Optimal Nutrition

If you work out frequently, chances are that, you experience pain within your joints and muscles on a regular basis each. Part of the reason why this occurs is that whenever we work out, it causes acute inflammation. Acute inflammation occurs whenever the body experiences trauma or goes into motion for an extended period of time.

This increased activity within a certain area, causes blood flow to increase around that area and thus, fluid, blood proteins and white blood cells move towards that affected area. The end result is that the area becomes more inflamed and thus the sensation of joint and muscle pain arises.

One way you can reduce inflammation and thus, speed up your recovery rates is to consume nutrient rich foods that contains a variety of nutrients that reduce inflammation. Some foods that work great at reducing inflammation include: 

• Pineapple
• Nuts
• Mango
• Ginger
• Tomato
• Soy
• Fatty fish
• Whole Grain products
• Dark leafy greens
• Peppers

2) Massage Therapy

Another effective thing you can do to speed up your recovery rate is to participate in massage therapy sessions. This can prove to be especially useful to weightlifters in particular. Massage therapy helps to reduce the impact of workout sessions by increasing the body’s ability to circulate blood and nutrients more effectively.

This increase in blood circulation will allow the body to supply nutrients to the affected targeted workout area at a much faster rate, which essentially means that it will recover faster. Some massage therapists specailize in sports massage, specifically in deep tissue massage and Active Release Technique (ART). For example, Bloomington, Illinois’ N8 Touch Massage has carved a niche in offering sports massage therapy for clients in need of quicker recovery from hard workouts.

3) Stretching & Mobility Work

Many people encounter unnecessary muscle soreness and spasms, simply due to the fact that they didn’t participate in a pre-warm up and cool down stretching and mobility sessions. By participating in stretching and mobility exercises before you workout, you can reduce the possibility that you may encounter an injury such as a sprain or a muscle spasm.

By participating in stretching and mobility related exercises after your workout sessions, it can help to reduce muscle soreness and promote flexibility. Some great stretching and mobility exercises include:

• Arm swings
• Shoulder circles
• Side bends
• Hip circles and twists
• Leg Swings
• Lunges
• Ankle Bounce
• Half Squat

4) Epsom Salt Bath

Many athletes have proclaimed that an Epsom salt bath is essential when it comes to recovering faster after a workout. One of the reasons why using Epsom salt may be so effective at speeding up recovery rates, is partly due to the fact that Epsom salt contains Magnesium.

Magnesium can help our skeletal muscles to relax by flushing the lactic acid buildup that occurs gradually, the more and more we use our muscles. Magnesium also helps the body to increase it’s vitamin absorption rate and it helps to regulate nerve and muscle function as well.

5) Rest

One of the most effective things you can do to speed up your recovery rate is to take a few days off during the week so that your muscle can rest. During this rest period, your body will focus on repairing your muscle tissues, so that you can have a more effective workout session after the fact.

Whenever we are awake, our body spends our energy on multiple things such as seeing, smelling, moving and focusing. However, whenever we go to sleep, the body spends an abundance of that energy into healing the body instead. Therefore, it’s highly recommended that you take a few days out of the week to let your body rest and for you to sleep for longer periods during your rest days as well.

Think about how you feel the day after a poor night’s sleep. Your cognitive skills are decreased, your stress levels elevate. The same thing can be said amount muscles after a high intensity workout session. Whether your training to become a better triathlete or simply enjoy a nice jog every other day, one good rule of thumb to follow is that your workout to rest ratio should be no less than a 3:1 or 66% workout – 33% rest ratio.