It’s no secret that exercise is a vital element of good health. In fact, when healthcare providers are asked about the three main components of staying as healthy as possible, the answers provided are often regular exercise, a healthy diet, and a good night’s sleep. As a result, many of us know that exercising is important. For some of us, it may be an uphill battle to try to work exercise into our daily routine on a regular basis. But the fact still remains that most of us do know and appreciate how beneficial it can truly be. While we realize that exercise is important, however, many of us often underestimate a vital component of the exercise routine – and that is workout recovery.
Understandably, it can be difficult enough in the midst of a hectic schedule and a busy day to work exercise into our routines in the first place. Therefore, many of us find ourselves skimping on the recovery portion of our exercise routine because we simply don’t believe we have the time to devote the necessary attention to it or, for some reason, we find it less valuable than the exercise itself. As a result, many of us find ourselves overlooking and neglecting the rest and recovery that we need after exercise as we move quickly on to the next part of our busy schedule.
While many of us tend to neglect it, many fitness experts actually state that proper workout recovery is one of the most important elements of an exercise routine. To understand why this is so, it is important to think about the nature of exercise itself. Understandably, exercise requires exposing your body to a certain amount of stress. It could be cardiovascular stress, it could be stress to your muscles, it could be a combination of both.
It goes without saying then, that after stress, there should be an element of relief and relaxation. This gives the body time to adapt to the stress that it underwent and recuperate and recover for the next activity. It allows tissues and muscles time to repair and restore themselves. Not doing so can, in fact, make the body more prone to injury. This could be either acute injury or cumulative injuries that occur over time, not to mention increasing general feelings of fatigue, decreased sports performance, and other mental issues when the body is subjected to a great deal of stress without relief over a prolonged period of time.
Clearly, workout recovery is important, and committing to make time for it is important. The good news is that doing so really isn’t very difficult. Some helpful ways to do that include:
- Rest: Obtaining restful sleep is an important element of workout recovery that simply cannot be overlooked. It is one of the most beneficial and effective ways to help your body recover after exercise. Certainly, it is true that our schedules may not always allow for a nap in the middle of the day, but it is nevertheless important to make an effort to get a full night’s sleep regularly. Doing so gives the body and mind a much-needed opportunity to recuperate and recover.
- Follow a healthy post-workout diet: Often, we think about what we eat before we exercise, but don’t think as much about what we eat afterwards. Post-workout diet is essential to recovery, however, and should not be overlooked. A good post-workout diet can decrease muscle breakdown, increase muscle growth, and restore necessary glycogen stores, to name only a few of the many benefits. It goes without saying that dietary needs will vary depending upon your unique circumstances. But generally speaking, choosing a post-workout diet with a good balance of carbs, protein, and healthy fats will assist with a quick recovery. It is also important to continue to hydrate after working out. Make sure you drink not only your workout recovery beverage of choice, but also plenty of clean, pure water. Doing so will assist your entire body in the recovery process.
- Use of helpful supplements: This recovery element, of course, goes hand-in-hand with a healthy diet, but is a distinct and important step on its own that should not be overlooked. Choosing a post-workout recovery supplement that will help restore your energy levels and generally boost effective and efficient recovery is important. Many have taken CBD for this purpose with very positive results. Often, CBD providers like Pharmstrong™ will offer a variety of CBD products that are excellent to take post workout. These products include:
- Softgels: Softgels are often a very popular choice for those who want to receive the benefits of CBD quickly and effectively, at any time of day that’s convenient. Simply keep the bottle in your on-the-go bag of choice, and take a softgel after your workout with a beverage of choice.
- Oral drops: Like softgels, oral drops can be consumed quickly and easily. Just place a few drops under your tongue or into your favorite workout recovery beverage after exercising, and begin experiencing all of the benefits that CBD has to offer.
- Topical applications: Soothe yourself after a workout with topical applications like CBD balms and salves. Pharmstrong™ offers one and two ounce body balm options, which deliver benefits quickly and effectively after being massaged into the desired area – definitely a boost to your rest, relaxation, and workout recovery routine.
At Pharmstrong™, we are passionate about CBD and the many benefits it can provide in many aspects of life – including the benefits it can offer as part of a workout recovery routine. If you would like to learn more about any of the CBD products we offer, we would welcome the opportunity to speak with you about those products and help you choose one that’s right for you. Visit us at our store if you’re nearby, call us, or stop by online at any time. We look forward to helping you with your workout recovery needs soon!