Make the best out of your routine.

When you leave the gym or studio or get home from a run, it’s tempting to just lay back and eat, drink and do whatever you want. You did, after all, just burn calories and you deserve a treat for all that hard work, right? Wrong. Your post-workout habits can actually enhance or practically negate your entire routine – and we don’t want the latter.

Cool down

After all that adrenalin, you need to get your heart rate down. So do some light stretches or some yoga poses to cool yourself down. This will not only get your heart rate back to normal, but it will also prevent dizziness and blood buildup in your veins.

Treat yourself to the right stuff

Okay, you had the right idea that you should take something after your workout. You lost a lot of nutrients and you need to replenish them, but you need to consume the right things. To rehydrate, drink a bit of water around 15 minutes after your cool down. Don’t overwhelm yourself, so take sips. Coconut water is also a great alternative if you can get your hands on it.

As a snack, take healthy-whole food items or wait until you get home to juice some veggies. Research suggests consuming bananas since they’re some of the best for post-exercise restoration. They’re high in healthy carbs, which restores your body’s levels of glycogen and it also helps restore store muscles since they’re high in potassium.

Give yourself a massage

Muscle therapy is of utmost importance, especially since you’ve tired your body out. Try massaging yourself with a foam roller, a lacrosse ball or a rolling pin. Doing so will not only help soothe your muscles, but it will also increase your range of motion and decrease muscle contraction.

Drop the sports and alcoholic drinks

Most sports drinks are full of sugar and calories. So while it does get your energy up, it’s only so that you have enough to burn what you just consumed, so stick to water instead. Likewise, don’t visit your friends at a bar directly after your workout. Nothing dehydrates the body like alcohol.

Don’t skimp out on sleep

While water and the right food will help in your body’s restoration, most of it actually takes place while you sleep. So if you work out a lot, your body needs more time to rest. Make sure to carve out an extra hour or two for sleep during those especially high-intensity workout days.

You spend a lot of time and energy on your workouts. So take advantage of the benefits and stretch them out with the right post-workout habits.