You work out hard, but do you take the time to recover? It used to be so hard for me to take the time to stretch, roll, or even take a day off from my workouts. And truth be told, I still have a hard time taking a day off. I just love movement and I just want to keep going, especially when the weather is nice! But, I’ve learned the hard way, your body needs recovery. Without recovery, you most likely will injure yourself. I’m going to give you a run-down on all that you need so that your muscles recover and you bypass injury.

When you exercise, the repetitive motions cause your muscles to shorten which makes them feel tight. This tightness is the result of small ruptures within the muscle and in the process will restrict joint movement. Sometimes the soreness is gone within a day or two, but other times it hangs around longer because the muscles are overly tight. What can be done?

1. Foam rolling, or self-myofascial release (SMR), is my number one method for reducing muscle tightness and tension. I use a foam roller and a ball at the end of every workout session. The pressure from the roller or ball releases the knots &/or tightness in your muscles and alleviates the inflammation so you can get a better range of motion (ROM). When rolling at the end of a workout, roll each muscle for around 30-60 seconds. When you feel some tightness, put pressure on that point so you can release the imbalances, and make sure you try to relax while you are doing this so that your muscles can relax. Sometimes rolling can be very painful, especially at the beginning. So, start slowly and do what you can do. Rolling can also be used as part of your warm-up. When using it as a warm-up, only roll for about 30 seconds on each muscle group to increase blood flow. Doing this as a warm-up can improve your work out performance (see a performance test by NASM here). See my short rolling session below.

2. Stretching is another beneficial method for improving your muscle stiffness and your range of motion (ROM). Studies have shown that stretching regularly keeps your muscles loose and lessens the shortening and tightness that you get from exercise. The best time to stretch is right after exercise because your muscles are warm and pliable. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends getting in a good stretch 2-3 times a week, but daily would have even greater benefits. There are two types of stretches: static and dynamic stretches. For static stretches you hold each stretch for around 30-60 seconds, which is better after a workout. Dynamic stretches are moving stretches where joints and muscles go through a full range of motion that are controlled and at a comfortable pace. They are usually done before a workout to warm up the muscles, but can also be done afterward.

3. I just recently purchased the Theragun and have fallen in love with this tool. It’s like a little massage for your muscles. For me I became a little too tight for my own good. Even though I was stretching, rolling, and going to a masseuse regularly I needed something more. This little baby breaks down the tightness with percussive therapy. I use it 2-3 times per week and am amazed with the results. If you’re interested, go to the Therabody website here.

4. After all of this, you also need to pay attention to your eating so you can properly rebuild those muscles. Protein should be number one on your list to consume within 30 min. of your workout. You should always have a small amount of protein paired with some carbs to help with inflammation and it will also build and repair muscle tissue. Aim for around 3 grams of carbs to 1 gram of protein. Read more about post-workout nutrition here.

Are you ready to roll and stretch? Tell me what you do.