5 Things You Should Do After a Workout
Today was rough. I have been sick for a week, worked all day, turned around and taught a dance fitness class at night (with quite possibly one of the hardest playlists I've ever created) and tomorrow I'm going to wake up bright and early and do it all again. A question I get asked a lot is HOW!? How can you teach back to back days without feeling like collapsing!?
Let me start by saying, my body is conditioned to this type of exercise. I have been attending and/or teaching 3-5 dance fitness classes a week for the past three years. At this point during class my body's typically like "🙄 c'mon b**** you can do better than that." But just like with anything in life, it takes practice and training to build a resilient body. If you don't continuously push your body, it will never learn to adapt. Instead it'll use minimal effort and revel in the comfort of knowing you ain't doing this s*** again for another week and go back to being it's normal lazy self. The best advice I can give you is to train your body. Go to more than one class a week. It'll be hard at first, by your second or third exercise of the week you'll feel like your legs aren't working and you can barely lift your arms. But keep. going. It'll get easier the longer you maintain your routine. This I promise you.
Okay now that I got that bulls*** out of the way, here are my secret tips to bringing life back to your body after an intense workout. 😜
1) STRETCH
Yes we stretch at the end of every class but it's generic and not tailored to your specific body's needs. When I get home the first thing I do is a few of my favorite Yoga poses, depending on where I'm hurting. My favorites are down dog, pigeon, reverse warrior, child's pose and of course...savasana.
Pigeon Pose helps the hips.
2) ICE INFLAMED MUSCLES
It's important to immediately ice any inflamed muscles right after a workout. It helps reduce muscle soreness the next day. I like my good old bag of frozen peas that have been in my freezer for the last 6 years. They're perfectly frozen into the shape of my left calf muscle. 😂
3) CRACK A BEER
Yup, I said it. Nothing takes the edge off like an iced cold beer and you earned it. 🍺 Just make sure that's a Michelob Ultra in your hand, it's the lowest calorie *drinkable* beer, in my opinion. No, Michelob did not sponsor this blog but I'll gladly accept a position as your spokeswoman. Kthanks.
4) RUN A HOT BATH
If you're anything like me, that bath will be hot and steamy AF too. Not only does a bath help your muscles relax but it helps you b r e a t h e. I like to throw in some Dr. Teal's Epsom Salt for extra breathing relief and relaxation. After a real hard work out I'll triple up with bubble bath, epsom salt AND a bath bomb. I love literally every frangrance but here's what I'm currently using:
Get your bubble bath here!
Get your Epsom salt here!
Get your bath bombs here!
5) MEDITATE
I f****ing SWEAR by meditation. The mind is a powerful thing. It is incredible what you can accomplish and heal by visually seeing yourself in a higher state repeatedly in your mind. Understand however, meditation does take time and patience, this is why I enjoy it at night in my bath or right before I fall asleep. Don't be discouraged if your mind doesn't calm right away or even the first few times you do it. Like everything, it takes training and practice. Getting started I really enjoyed the Boho Beautiful guided meditations on YouTube. They're quick and simple meditations guided by a beautiful voice. All you have to do is give your attention and listen. This one is my favorite: Guided Meditation for Healing
Check out their entire guided meditation playlist here.
And that my friends is how I'm able to workout the following day after an intense class. This is how I'm able to bounce back and endure multiple exercise classes a week. Don't get me wrong, I still have days where my body aches and I have to waddle around like a f****ing fool from too many squats, but making sure I've taken the proper steps to relax and heal are what keep me going. 💜
Comment YOUR favorite after workout routines that help you relax and heal!
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