Staying active is tougher than it sounds. For those who enjoy an intense workout every other day, doing everything possible to recover faster is essential. There’s nothing that can drain a person’s fitness motivation more than sore muscles that take way too long to recover. By following the workout recovery methods listed below, you will be able to recover faster and consistently stay at the top of your fitness game.

Get A Massage

When the body is put under the stress of a workout session it will create muscle adhesions. These are also called muscle knots by some. These areas are where the muscle fibers get stuck in a contracted state. In order to release these contracted fibers, physical pressure must be exerted to the specific area.

A massage is a perfect way to apply pressure to those muscle knots and force the muscle fibers out of a contracted state. When these adhesions are released, muscle pain soreness drastically decreases. In addition, getting a massage allows for stimulated blood circulation in the body. This means the buildup of lactic acid from a workout can be flushed away quicker and reduce soreness.

Getting a massage should be reserved for hours after a workout or the next day. This is because stimulating the muscles right after a workout will inadvertently cause the body to become more inflamed than it already is. Swelling of the muscles typically subsides after a few hours post-workout. Any time after this period is ideal for a massage.

Ice Bath

After an intense workout, the untrained muscles become inflamed. The best treatment to reduce inflammation post-workout is with an ice bath. A cold soak in a pool or tub can reduce blood flow in the body, which will, in turn, reduce inflammation. This stops the swelling of the body and speeds up the first part of the recovery process.

A 10 to 15-minute soak is all that is necessary. If you don’t have time to soak in an ice bath after a workout, substitutions are possible. The sorest muscles should be wrapped with an ice pack to ensure they receive a chilling effect that halts the muscle from swelling with blood.

Hot Tub Soak

The best time to use a hot tub soak is after the ice bath or the next day after a workout. These times are when the muscles become overly tight, fatigued, and sore. The hot water will allow an increase in the body’s blood flow.

One other important trait of using a hot tub soak is the massaging jets. Spas are a dual threat against sore muscles and general body fatigue. They will reduce muscle tightness while stimulating blood flow.

Eat Tons Of Protein

Muscles simply need protein to grow. If the body doesn’t get protein, it cannot undergo muscle to protein synthesis. This process is what makes the muscle fibers grow back stronger than they were prior to the workout. On average, one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight is an adequate amount of protein to cover your bases.

The most important time to get protein into the body is shortly after a workout is finished. The faster the body can be filled with protein, the quicker muscle protein synthesis can occur. Planning to consume a meal high in protein right after a workout or simply having a protein shake prepared is a necessity to quick post-workout recovery.

Recovering from a workout should be the top priority for any individual looking to get stronger muscles. By following the four great recovery methods listed above one will be able to ensure they set themselves up for the best possible growth in strength after each workout.