Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a gym rat, nothing is more satisfying than busting out your go-to workout to the best of your ability and feeling happier, healthier, and more robust. As most active gym-goers know, it is essential to push yourself gradually harder and faster when you work out to build your body up to do the exercise you want it to do. But you also must rest too. 

Every kind of exercise strains the body, which over time, can lead to many benefits like increased muscle mass, reduced inflammation, fat loss, and much more. However, as you exercise, you’re causing your muscles to become tired and tight, meaning they need to rest before your next gym session or run the risk of injury. 

So that you can start noticing some of the above benefits, you need to allow your body to recover after each gym session. Fortunately, there are many ways you can soothe the ache in your muscles after a heavy workout, from getting the recommended amount of daily sleep to using muscle recovery supplements. We list some of the best ways below: 

Eat A Balanced Diet 

One of the best ways to aid your body’s recovery is by eating a balanced diet, as eating the right amount of the four food groups will give your body the fuel it needs to mend and perform better. No matter what type of exercise you engage in, microscopic amounts of damage will occur to your muscle cells which eating well will aid the healing of. 

You can use many foods and muscle recovery supplements in your rest period to ensure that your muscles repair themselves and perform better the next time you work out. Some of the best foods to include in your post-workout diet are as follows: 

• Whole Milk
• Black Beans 
• Chicken 
• Whole Wheat Pasta 
• Natural Yoghurt 
• Supplements 
• Protein Powder, and much more! 

Ultimately, fueling your body with the proper nutrients and energy makes it easier for your body to speed up the process of muscle building. If you’re not sure which muscle recovery supplements and foods to introduce into your diet, consider visiting the websites of manufacturers like Ingredient Optimized, who produce a range of protein powders that encourage peak performance. 

With ingredients like hydrolyzed whey protein and pea protein, consider reading some of their blog posts to find out more or contacting them directly to see how their products could help you facilitate muscle building today.

Drink Lots Of Fluid 

Water has many healing benefits, whether you’re in the gym or outside of it. Since it helps thin your blood and move nutrients/oxygen throughout the body, it is advised to drink lots of fluid during recovery so that the cell-repairing nutrients can spread throughout your body and to the area that needs healing quicker. 

Failure to have enough fluid in your body means that your muscles won’t be able to bounce back, meaning you won’t be able to push it further next time to achieve your personal goals. Ultimately, whether you’re a gym rat or a weekend warrior, it is essential that you drink the recommended amount of water so that your body remains at peak performance. Plus, you don’t end up suffering from any symptoms of dehydration, which can push your recovery back further. 

Get A Good Night’s Sleep 

No matter how many people might tell you that healthy eating and muscle recovery supplements are the best ways for your muscles to recover after a heavy workout – one of the most underrated is getting a good night’s sleep. According to health professionals, all American adults should aim to get in-between seven to nine hours of sleep to function soundly the next day. 

Failure to get a decent amount of rest can hinder how long it takes for your body to repair its tissue. It prevents hormones from increasing, slows your recovery, and increases the risk of injury (and a bad mood!) the following day. 

If you do struggle to get enough sleep each night, there are many ways that you can improve your sleep quality, from putting your phone in the next room while you sleep, avoiding technology a couple of hours before bed, taking a bath, reading a book instead of falling asleep to the sound of the T.V. and much more. 

Take A Nice, Relaxing Bath 

Finally, another excellent way of helping your sore muscles recover after a big workout is by sinking into a nice, relaxing bath as soon as you get home from the gym. Those suffering from muscle soreness often think that jumping into a warm bath will aggravate their soreness when it can do the opposite. 

Hot water combined with a self-massager is one of the best ways to ease the inflammation of sore muscles after a heavy gym session; however, they should never be used as a replacement for professional post-gym recovery sessions. So, if you’ve tried everything on this list and your muscles are still not soothed, don’t hesitate to seek advice from a professional.