There’s a lot involved in CrossFit. From improving your strength to enhancing your flexibility, this high-intensity workout can be hard on the body, yet it is so rewarding.
Whether you’re new to CrossFit or a seasoned CrossFitter, post-workout recovery matters. Check out the following tips for quicker recovery between your workout sessions.
Amp Up on the Hydration
Hydration is one of the most important aspects of recovery after a workout. First and foremost, upping your fluid intake helps you replenish the fluids you lost during your workout. It can also stimulate lymphatic drainage, reduce muscle cramping, and cool you down after a hot and sweaty workout.
Drinking enough water also plays a critical role in your cognitive performance, joint and tissue health, and muscle growth and repair. Staying hydrated is always necessary, but it’s even more important after a CrossFit workout.
Replace Downtime with Active Recovery
The more strenuous the workout, the more you’re going to want to go home and lie down on the sofa for the next few days. While rest is important, active recovery can be more effective than lying around after exercise.
What is active recovery, you might ask? This is the stage which occurs between workout sessions. It involves light, gentle exercises to help the body recover after a high-intensity workout. Activities might include a brief jog, slow cycling, or swimming.
Active recovery is beneficial as it can help improve blood circulation, reduce stiff and sore muscles, and ultimately help you recover faster after your previous workout.
Say Bye to Muscle Tension with Cupping
Post-CrossFit muscle tension can be intense. Whether it be from the temporary build-up of lactic acid, post-workout dehydration, microscopic muscle tears, or general muscle fatigue, muscle tension happens even to the best of us.
Cupping therapy is a wellness service option we recommend for muscle tension relief after engaging in CrossFit. Special cups suctioned on the skin via this wellness service help stretch the muscles, boost blood circulation, and encourage lymphatic drainage, which in turn, can help with tense, sore muscles.
Stretch with a Pro
Stretching isn’t just recommended before a CrossFit workout. It can also be helpful after a workout. Stretching with a professional at Recovery Lab through our mobility stretching service is one way to improve your recovery time after CrossFit.
Mobility stretching involves deep muscle stretching to loosen up the connective tissue of the muscles. When mobility stretching is done successfully, it can improve one’s range of motion and reduce risk of post-workout injury. It also has the potential to improve posture and take stress off tight joints.
Cool Your Muscles with Cryotherapy
Muscle inflammation or soreness after your CrossFit workout? Whole-body or localized cryotherapy might do you some good. This wellness service involves brief exposure to below-freezing temperature to improve recovery of the body.
Benefits of cryotherapy can include faster muscle healing, decreased muscle and joint pain, and improved circulation, which can enhance the removal of wastes in the body.
Interested in fitness recovery services from Recovery Lab? Contact our facility today to book your first session.
