4 Muscle Recovery Practices For Everyone

You don’t have to be an active person to require some sort of physical therapy. Ordinary life can be just as taxing as someone who is frequently physically active, in some cases, worse. Inactivity itself renders the muscles weak which makes them more prone to injury, strains, aches and pains. Taking care of the body should remain a top priority for everyone.

“If you listen to your body when it whispers, you won’t have to hear it scream.”

-Proverb

Some of the most common causes of stressed muscles come from the most basic things; like sitting on a chair or sitting upright on your bed (like I’m doing now as I write this article.) for prolonged periods of time. And yes, even if you’ve got good posture sitting.

Being in that position for long periods of time without any kind of relieving movement will take its toll on you. As we know, some things are pretty much unavoidable. We sit doing most things; we have to bend our bodies to lift something; we have to extend our bodies to reach for something and we sometimes put out bodies in awkward positions.

For those who are physically inactive, these normal daily situations will have a bigger strenuous effect. Due to your muscles not having the capacity or fluidity, it needs to somewhat ease the burden.

For those who are active, the constant stress we put our bodies through has a downside. Although we are technically becoming stronger and healthier through it, our muscles need the time and attention to repair and recover properly to sustain our way of life. Whether it be running, weightlifting or playing a sport. If the body is not attended to in the proper way and taken care of the way it requires, you will find your physical output levels decrease.

Help yourself by implementing the useful practices below to aid muscle recovery and repair, and reduce or prevent the risk of muscle soreness and stiffness.

1. Massage

This form of therapy has many benefits. Both mental and physical. Physically it reduces tension in the muscles, improves circulation, increases mobility and flexibility and so on. Mentally, it reduces the stress hormones to enable a more calm state of mind.

2. Stretching

Stretching provides the body with a plethora of benefits, from improved posture, loose muscles, reduction in muscle tension, increased mobility and flexibility and much more. If you haven’t already, check my article on stretching (https://samiulzimmadar.medium.com/why-stretch-60afd80ab27f) where I go in-depth about the benefits.

3. Cold Showers

This is something that most people steer away from because it places us in a very uncomfortable situation. Cold showers aren’t the most pleasant but they do provide healing. They reduce muscle soreness post-workout, increase circulation in the body and most importantly, by being able to withstand a cold shower, we improve our mental toughness.

4. Rest

It’s not solely for when you’re tired, it’s for muscle recovery and muscle growth. It’s to allow your body to rejuvenate for the day ahead. Rest allows your blood pressure to drop and release hormones to relax the muscles and slow down your breathing.

Remember, overlooking the problem doesn’t make it go away. In most cases, you won’t feel the same soreness as you once did because your body has become accustomed to the rigour of exercise. However, this doesn’t mean the muscles don’t require attention. Time will not restore your body unless you provide aid to it along the way.

Taking care of yourself is a form of self-love. In my opinion, it is one of the most significant forms of self-love, so look after your body and your body will look after your mind.