Nutrition Quarterly Series 3, Volume 1

5Ways to Recover in 5Minutes or Less By Laura Fitzgerald Giving your body time to recover after exercise is vital for your overall health and wellness. It helps your body perform at optimum levels by curbing muscle soreness, decreasing inflammation, reducing stress levels, boosting your immune system, helping you sleep better, and more. But, in our fast-paced world, it can be hard to schedule a workout during your day, let alone recovering from one. So, what can we do to help our bodies recover after a workout while keeping up with our hectic schedules? Do it in 5 minutes or less with these 5 tips. COOL DOWN WITH A STRETCH Including a short but effective stretching routine while your muscles are still warm will help relieve tension, prevent muscle soreness, and improve mobility. To keep things moving quickly, focus on one deep stretch per muscle group (depending on what part of your body you focused on that day), and utilize dynamic stretching to move seamlessly between stretches. Before you know it, you’ll be all stretched out and on your way! HYDRATE Rehydration is essential after a tough sweat-session. When you’re training, your body constantly loses fluids and electrolytes as you sweat. If you’re not already bringing a water bottle to the gym with you, start now! Most gyms have water bottle refill stations so you can drink up before, during, and after your workout, ensuring you’re hydrated before your session is even up. BREATHE DEEPLY This may seem obvious, but taking a few minutes to close your eyes and focus on your breathing is a great way to relax your whole body after you’ve put it to work. Try practicing a quick meditation – there are tons of apps and videos that offer 5-minute guided meditations if you’re a newbie to the genre. If meditation isn’t your thing, try simply finding a comfortable sitting position, closing your eyes, and breathing in through your nose for a count of five, then out through your mouth for a count of five. Do this several times, making sure to breathe in deeply, filling your belly all the way up with air. It only takes a few minutes to reap the benefits of mindful deep breathing. Laura Fitzgerald is an Art Director for Simple Again, Writer, Baker and Lifelong Learner ROLL IT OUT Using a foam roller feels like a mini-massage session, and it can help reduce muscle soreness by increasing blood flow to the area you just worked out. To speed things up, focus only on the areas you worked out that day, rather than your whole body. Don’t have a foam roller? A tennis ball does the trick too. If you’re looking for real speed, try utilizing a massage gun instead – these tools use percussion therapy to reduce muscle tension and soreness. FEED YOUR MUSCLES Pay close attention to the foods you eat after exercise. You want to aim to eat a balance of complex carbs, lean protein, and healthy fats within about 30 minutes of wrapping up your workout. Ideally, that meal would come in liquid form, so you can feed your hungry muscles as soon as possible. We recommend a Recovery Shake, packed with nutrient-dense foods like fruits & veggies, nut butters, seeds, and a clean protein supplement to top it off. Try one at your gym’s juice bar – it doesn't get much quicker than that! Nutrition Quarterly · Series 3 – Volume 1 14 Nutrition Quarterly · Series 3 – Volume 1 15 Featured Articles Featured Articles