What you do in the few hours after your workouts are over can have a big impact on what kind of results you see. Use these techniques after your fitness workout to achieve better results.

Try These Fitness Tips After Your Workouts to Improve Your Results

Always have a cool down period after exercising / working out. If you’re on a treadmill for example, go at a very light speed for a few minutes before completing. If you’ve been running or jogging, walk for 10 minutes or so before stopping.

If you’ve been lifting weights, try a light bike ride (for example, an exercise bike at the gym or fitness center) or light walking – for 10 – 15 minutes to flush out the lactic acid from your system.

Meditation – or at least, relaxation for 15- 20 minutes. Try quieting the mind for a little while. This is a great technique to use after working out. We’re not talking about a fancy yoga routine or chanting a mantra. Just sit or lie quietly for 10 – 15 minutes and focus the mind. For those looking to bulk up, this can be very helpful. But it is helpful for no matter what your fitness routine or fitness goals are.

Try a Shower – A good, cool shower after exercising can help flush out the lactic acid in our system. Also, try alternating hot and cold water in the shower every 30 seconds or so. Some find this very effective in helping their bodies to recover from their workouts.

Get a Massage – not always practical unless you have a willing partner nearby. But, try massaging your own legs and arms.

Take in 20 grams of quality protein after exercising – whey protein is ideal (see our article on top protein sources). Other possibilities include a chicken breast, or even a glass of milk.

We’ve achieved great fitness results (losing weight and gaining lean muscle) by drinking a glass of milk that has a scoop (20 grams or so) of whey protein. We buy our whey protein from Swanson Vitamins. They have a very inexpensive, but high quality whey protein powder. It is much cheaper than the fitness chain store whey products (and it does not contain sugar).

Try avoiding sugar 2 hours after exercising.

If you’ve been injured during your exercise routine, then use the R-I-C-E formula:

R – Rest - An injured muscle needs to be rested immediately. The pain centers of your brain are sending you a message – stop what you are doing!

I – Ice – Apply ice to the injured area.

C – Compression – Try an ice pack.

E – Elevation – Elevate the injured area. If you’ve hurt your knee for example, rest it (immediately), apply ice to it, and elevate it.

Try these post fitness workout tips. They will help your body recover more quickly, and will help you achieve your fitness goals more quickly as well.

Related Physical Fitness Articles:

Tips for Preventing Fitness Injuries
There is nothing more frustrating than being out of commission because of a sports injury or any other fitness injury. A bad injury can delay how long it takes for you to accomplish your fitness goals. Read our tips for preventing getting injured while exercising.

How to Recognize and Deal with Symptoms of Overtraining Syndrome
Exercise and a regular fitness program are critical to our health. But, we can overdo it and train too hard. If we do, we risk overtraining syndrome, which can have a lot of negative physical and psychological effects.

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