The Ultimate Post-Workout Routine

Step 1: Cool down & stretch.
What warms up, must cool down— hate to break it to you, but you can’t flop quite yet. Halting your workout abruptly can cause you to feel sick or pass out, so it’s important that you gradually return to your baseline. Luckily, this is the easiest part of the workout. Here’s what you do:

Walk for 3-5 minutes until your heart rate drops below 120 bpm.
Perform static stretching— target the major muscle groups you worked, holding each pose for 10-30 seconds

Step 2: Roll (or drum) it out.
If you want to improve flexibility and make tomorrow less awful—add foam rolling into your post-workout routine. Foam rolling is a simple way to speed up recovery by relieving muscle soreness.

Want to make this step even easier? Use a therapy gun. There’s a reason these instruments are taking the world by storm (and why there’s currently a wait list to get one!) Therapy guns utilize percussive therapy techniques to increase blood flow to the target area and reduce inflammation.

This means reduced soreness, increased mobility, and a grateful future self.

Step 3: Hydrate.
So, you just sweat. A lot. That’s amazing! Now, it’s time to replenish those fluids. Mixing water and electrolytes (like this Post Sweat solution) into your blender bottle can help prevent muscle cramps and fatigue.

And remember to keep drinking water throughout the day. A hydrated body is a happy body.

Step 4: Take a shower.
We hope this step is obvious—but we’ll put it here just in case. Before you rinse off, spritz your trimmer with this Trimmer Cleaning Spray, so it can be as fresh as you are.

Step 5: Have a snack.
Within an hour of your workout, you’ll want to make sure you consume the proper nutrients. Protein helps repair and build muscle, while carbs restore energy—ensuring that all your hard work won’t go to waste.

Don’t worry if this sounds complicated— have a banana & check out this recipe for a super easy (and delicious) protein smoothie.

Step 6: Chill out.
You shouldn’t train the same muscle group two days in a row. After exercising certain muscles, let them rest and repair for one to two days while you work out another muscle group or take the day off completely. We know you’ve heard it before, but your body needs as much rest as it needs activity.

So, sit back & relax. You’ve done the heavy lifting— let your body handle the rest.

This article was written by Melissa Pelowski. Want to write for us? Email your pitch to submissions@sportsresearch.com for consideration.