4 things you must do after a workout

The purpose of exercising or working out in the gym is totally defeated and all your efforts are simply wasted if you don’t end your session the right way. Most people freshen up or take a shower, change and head towards their next task for the day. But that’s not the right way to treat your body after strenuous exercise. Those few minutes you spend on yourself immediately after a workout directly affects your stress levels, your strength, endurance and your state of mind for the rest of the day. Here are four things you must never forget.

Cool down: The first thing you need to do after finishing a workout session is cool down. Cool down exercises not only relax your muscles but also lowers your heart rate and reduces post-workout inflammation. It will also help you avoid the exhausted and tired feeling that you usually get after performing strenuous physical tasks.

Relax: Even after cool down exercises, your body needs to relax a bit before you involve yourself in some other activity. This is especially a common tendency in those who hit the gym early in the morning. Rushing for work or travelling long distances will not only exhaust you but also spoil your mood for the test of the day. Give your body some time to recover. Sit, relax and de-stress for at least 15-20 minutes before you move ahead with another activity for the day.

Drink sufficient water: Exercising causes loss of fluids and essential salts that must be replenished after the session is over. Of course, you need to drink water at intervals while you workout to stay hydrated but it is very important to maintain hydrated state and compensate for the loss of fluids. 

Re-energize: Last but but the most important thing you must do after exercising is eat healthy. During strenuous workout, your body utilises instant energy that is available, depletes carbohydrate stores and causes wear and tear of your muscles. Without refuelling your body with the right kind of food (proteins and carbohydrates), you’ll actually induce damage to your body. Most dieticians recommended eating healthy food within 90 minutes of workout session to prevent muscle loss. 

You may also like to read:

•  Do teenagers need to workout in the gym?
  
• The 30-30 workout – get fit in 20 minutes!
• 7 foods to eat after working out

For more articles on weight loss, visit our Fitness section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit Questions and Answers section.

1. Prev:How stress affects your weight loss goals
2. Next:How to get rid of your ‘side fat’