Want to be more proactive in your post-workout muscle recovery? Check out these five research-backed recovery methods you can try
Whether you’re just starting out or already a veteran in the gym, muscle aches get us all in the end. That said, if you drink plenty of water, eat nutrient-dense meals, and sleep well, then you’ll likely feel better soon enough. If you didn’t know, muscle recovery largely depends on lifestyle factors like sleep and diet quality, but there are strategies you can use to help relieve muscle soreness. Here’s a list of the five research-backed methods you can try.
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Infrared sauna
Infrared saunas can help with muscle and joint recovery by exposing your body to infrared heat, which deeply penetrates your body more than traditional saunas do. While additional studies need to be conducted to make such benefits conclusive, some researchers found that far-infrared sauna bathing is indeed beneficial for the neuromuscular system to recover from maximal endurance performance.
Cryotherapy
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Whole-body cryotherapy, which involves exposing your body to extremely cold temperatures for a few short minutes, is another recovery method you can use as it is said to relieve athletes’ pain and muscle soreness, reduce stress, and hasten recovery. Many researchers also see merit in its usage as studies report its effectiveness in relieving certain inflammatory conditions that affect athletes.
Ice bath
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Ice baths are a more common post-workout trend since they require less tech, but it’s no less effective in sending a cold shock to your system. Testing the efficacy of cold water immersion, a meta-analysis did find that submerging yourself in a cold bath immediately after exercise can effectively reduce muscle soreness and accelerate fatigue recovery.
Compression clothing
A rising trend in muscle recovery is compression clothing, such as compression tights and compression boots. While research so far is limited and the efficacy is debatable, some studies did see merit in this method. For example, a study on handball players found that wearing compression tights can indeed hasten the muscle recovery process.
Foam roller
We’re taking it back to the classics with the foam roller, and it’s a go-to for a reason since massaging yourself using this tool can help improve delayed onset muscle soreness after working out. That said, a meta-analysis did suggest that foam rolling can be more effective as a warm-up activity rather than a recovery tool.
Featured Image: ALO WELLNESS (via Instagram)
