In your journey towards self-care, you're bound to turn your focus on health and fitness eventually. Aside from eating balanced meals and getting enough rest, being physically fit also helps your body feel good in the long run. That is why although exercising may require a good amount of time and effort, you'll see that it's a personal investment you won't regret.

Before starting your fitness journey, however, you must have a healthy mindset that helps you target the right goals. More than losing pounds on the scale, what matters more in working out is training your body to be stronger. This positive mentality during exercise will help fuel your drive and empower you to overcome the physical strains of workouts.

Feeling your muscles burn, increasing your heart rate, and feeling tired after a workout is a part of improving your strength and stamina. And these shouldn't discourage you from achieving your goals, as there are also many methods you can do to make your workout feel better. Though it may be impossible to escape the soreness and fatigue post-workout, you can follow these tips to minimize the pain and help you recover faster.

1. Drink Your Water

Whenever we workout, our bodies sweat. When we sweat, our bodies lose water. Staying hydrated helps increase our muscle’s flexibility and strength. It also would help decrease the soreness of your muscles and reduce its inflammation after a tough workout.

You may think that drinking it cold or hot has negative effects to your post-workout recovery. However, studies show that you can drink your water at your preferred temperature. That being said, instead of drinking a sugary sports drink, you can opt for cold water. Getting hydrated with chilled water post-workout provides some extra benefits such as burning more calories and cooling down your body’s core temperature.

2. Take a Good Nap

Have you ever experienced being sleepy after workout? This is normal, especially for those who have done intensive routines. As such, taking a good nap is perfectly fine after working out. Taking a 20-minute nap is a great way to let your body recover without messing up your sleep schedule. Having a short nap can reduce your fatigue, boost muscle recovery, and even increase your mental awareness.

Dozing off after exercise is also a good way to combat sleep deprivation, while helping your muscle's active recovery.

To make the most out of your nap, it’s best to stay in a cool, dark, and quiet room. Stretching or doing some foam rolling before heading off to bed can also improve how your body feels when you wake up.

3. Let Yourself Rest

Giving your muscles a few days to rest is necessary to give enough time for your muscles to heal after an intense workout. Aside from allowing the microscopic tears in your muscles to mend, it also reduces the risk of injury. When your muscles are overworked, you are more likely to make workout mistakes leading to injury. This will increase your recovery time more than intended, which is a setback to your body goals.

With this in mind, plan your workout week ahead. You can set your upper body workout on one day and then do your core workout on the next. Setting up a schedule like this allows your muscles to recover properly without you either overworking your muscle groups or skipping out on your routine entirely. This also allows your body to clear out excess lactic acid that you build up during intense exercise.

4. Eat Your Protein

Have you ever thought about what to eat after your workout? Workout triggers the breakdown of muscle protein so it’s important to eat healthy food to help our bodies recover. As your workout becomes more intense, this becomes more essential to help your body heal.

Consuming a good amount of protein gives your body the nutrients it needs to repair and start protein synthesis. This also lays the foundation of your body to start muscle growth.

How much protein you need to consume is dependent on your body. But you should know that the minimum required daily protein intake is 0.8 grams per kilogram based on your weight. That means that a 150-pound adult requires 55 grams of protein per day.

Here’s a bonus tip

Take Vitamin Supplements

Muscle recovery can be fast when your body has sufficient vitamins. To support your body’s needs, you may want to take vitamin supplements.

The saying “No Pain, No Gain” may be true for your post-workout, but that doesn’t mean that you have to suffer from the pains for too long. Keep in mind that your physical fitness experience is a journey and not a race, so don’t rush and let your body heal in between workout days.

In time, your efforts to take care of your physical fitness will show. You can start with a light exercise and take on more challenging routines as you progress. Always make sure to listen to your body and keep it in its best condition so you can live out your best life. — (TGM)