You’ve just crushed your workout—now what? While it’s tempting to hit the showers and call it a day, spending a few minutes on your post-workout routine can maximize your results and recovery.

Learn what to do after a workout to keep your body in peak condition and enter your next training session stronger than before.

Eating after a workout boosts your energy and aids muscle repair. Use these tips to prepare the best post-workout meal—made of the right nutrients and eaten at the optimal time.

• Protein to Build Muscles: Alternate lean meat, seafood, and plant-based proteins like tofu, beans, and mushrooms. Each contains unique amino acids used for muscle growth.

• Carbohydrates to Replenish Energy: Choose complex carbs that release a steady stream of glucose throughout the day, preventing post-workout sluggishness and fatigue.

• Omega-3s to Reduce Muscle Soreness: These essential fatty acids fight inflammation and boost circulation. Try canned sardines or tuna, or sprinkle malunggay powder, chia seeds, or flax seeds into your post-workout drink.

• Micronutrients to Recover Faster: Many vitamins and minerals help repair tissue and relieve pain. Magnesium relaxes muscles, potassium prevents cramps, and vitamin C boosts metabolism and lowers inflammation. To get a good mix, eat a “rainbow” of fruits and vegetables—each color has different nutrients.

If you want more energy, schedule your snacks to normalize your body’s glucose levels and keep it steady for the rest of the day.

• If you had a low-intensity workout like walking or yoga: You don’t need to eat right after exercising. Instead, eat every four to five hours to fuel your day.

• If you had a high-intensity workout like weightlifting, sports, or endurance training: Eat a snack that has both protein and carbs within 30 minutes to two hours.

Energy bars and instant shakes are expensive and often contain hidden sugars and fats. Save money and control your ingredients by prepping your own snacks ahead of time.

• Make overnight oats. Mix milk, oats, frozen berries, and nut butter in a mason jar and leave it overnight.

• Prepare ready-to-blend shakes and smoothies. Freeze fruits, greens, and milk in ice cube trays—perfect for single portions!

• Combine various nuts and dried berries. Eat them on their own, or add honey or nut butter and refrigerate overnight for no-bake energy bars.

• Boil dried beans and freeze. Blend these with tahini to make homemade hummus. Add it to salads and tortilla wraps, or freeze a big batch of vegetarian chili or curry.

• Roast sweet potatoes, squash, and other vegetables. Add it to salads or sprinkle on tortillas with cheese and air-fry for instant, healthy “pizzas.”

• Stock up on frozen vegetables. Add it to omelettes, make it into savory muffins, or add it to quinoa.

Aside from drinking lots of water, reach for a “recovery drink” that contains minerals lost through sweat, like electrolytes.

Not a fan of commercial hydration drinks? Try coconut water or make smoothies with bananas or leafy greens.

You can also make your own sports drink! Mix a cup of water with two tablespoons of lemon juice, a pinch of sea salt, and your preferred flavoring or sweetener.

Stretching reduces muscle soreness and improves your body’s range of motion. Here’s how to maximize your cool-down routine.

Dynamic stretches use gentle motions that relax your entire body, while static stretches focus on muscles you used during your workout. Follow this video for a 10-minute routine that does both.

Foam rolling relaxes tight spots, increases blood flow, and eases muscle soreness.

Focus on the muscles you exercised, rolling each area for 30 to 60 seconds. For example, target your quads, hamstrings, and calves after leg day.

For a guided session, check out this quick foam rolling video.

Massages can minimize delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), or the pain that hits a day or two after a particularly intense workout.

Ask your favorite spa if they offer these treatments, which promote muscle recovery.

For a guided session, check out this quick foam rolling video.

• Swedish Massage: The gentle kneading relaxes muscles and promotes circulation.

• Shiatsu: The acupressure and gentle stretches release tension, especially in deeper muscle layers and tight spots.

Don’t get a deep tissue massage right after an intense workout. The strong pressure may increase inflammation and soreness.

Compression garments squeeze muscles to boost circulation and lower inflammation. They can also remove lactic acid, which causes muscle pain.

You can get compression garments for any part of your body—from shorts and shirts to compression socks and arm sleeves. Check out Zalora or sportswear lines like Sportshouse or Under Armour. Prices start at ₱690 for running socks and ₱1,395 for clothes.

Your body repairs muscles while you sleep, so try to get at least seven to eight hours a night.

Set the stage for quality sleep by keeping your room cool and dark and turning off gadgets at least an hour before bed.

Struggling with insomnia? Find tips on how to get better sleep and relaxing sleep sounds and apps.

Light movement boosts blood flow to your muscles, which relieves pain and speeds up recovery.

Keep moving even on your rest days. Choose gentle exercises like yoga or walking, or tackle chores that move your whole body, like washing your car or vacuuming. Even simple choices—like taking the stairs at work—can prep your body for your next workout!

Many supplements claim to speed up muscle recovery. However, consult a doctor before adding any new pill or powder to your post-workout routine. Even natural supplements can interfere with maintenance medications or affect your hormones and metabolism.

Once you know what to do after a workout, you can maximize your recovery and prepare your body for the next challenge.