18 Tips on How to Speed Up Muscle Recovery After Workouts

 Discover 18 science-backed tips on how to speed up muscle recovery. From getting more sleep to eating protein-rich foods, these strategies might help you bounce back faster after workouts and reduce soreness effectively.

Whether you’re an occasional runner or a total gym rat, workout recovery can be uber-uncomfortable. But fear not, fit fam. There are lots of productive ways to help you bounce back.

Here are 18 science-backed tips to help your body feel better faster.

How to speed exercise recovery

Before we dive into the deets, here’s a quick list of the 18 best ways to speed workout recovery:

1.Get more sleep

2.Take a daytime nap

3. Listen to music

4. Reduce your stress levels

5. Eat protein in the morning

6. Have some protein before bed

7. Eat a little protein before your workout

8. Eat something with protein post-workout

9. Drink chocolate milk

10. Skip the booze

11. Try tart cherry juice

12. Drink lots of water

13. Rest your muscles

14. Take an anti-inflammatory medication

15. Try compression garments

16. Use a foam roller

17. Take a cold bath

18. Get a massage

Rest up

Get more sleep

TBH, the exact relationship between sleep and exercise is still unclear. However, research suggests that not getting enough shut-eye can have a negative effect on performance and recovery.

After all, sleep affects your whole body and all its systems — including your brain, heart, and lungs. It also plays a major part in metabolism, immune function, mood, and disease resistance. So getting extra Zzz’s after a tough workout might do more than you know to speed your body’s recovery.

Take a daytime nap

An excuse to nap? Sign us up.

Taking a nap after a workout can help support muscle recovery. As you sleep, your pituitary gland releases a growth hormone that helps build and repair tissue. Not only is this essential for muscle growth, but it can also help speed up recovery.

Chill out

Listen to music

Music can be great for helping us power through a tough workout, or at least distracting us from that “My legs are on fire!” feeling 🔥. But there’s also a chance that listening to relaxing tunes can aid in exercise recovery.

Slow-tempo songs can help reduce your heart rate faster and get your blood lactate — the stuff that causes the pain in the first place — back down to resting levels more quickly after exercise.

Reduce your stress levels

When you’re under stress, your body can’t prioritize muscle recovery as well. In fact, researchers in a 2014 study found that periods of high stress were associated with slower recovery times. Meanwhile, lower stress levels were linked with faster recovery times.

It may not always seem possible to reduce the amount of stress in your life. Many people find mindfulness activities like yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises helpful for coping with stress, but that doesn’t mean you have to try them or that they’ll always work. You can opt for any activity (or lack thereof) that helps yo

u relax.