Your Foolproof Post-Exercise Recovery Timeline
A step by step guide to boosting recovery and avoiding DOMs, from the moment you put down the weights to waking up ready to go again the next morning.
Recovery can be a difficult thing to nail down. We know it’s just as important as the actual workout, but with so much conflicting information out there, knowing what to do when can be a mental workout i.e., exhausting.
And no one needs that after a hefty gym session.
To make your life easier, we spoke to two of the best experts around about exactly what you should be doing, and when.
While we’re all different and our bodies have different needs, the advice below is widely applicable, and fairly easy to implement.
Do it all, or just choose the few hacks that work for you. Either way, you should soon be recovering more easily, with fewer injuries and more fire in the belly for your next session.
Mid workout
Don’t think recovery is only about what happens when you step off the stair machine or put down the kettlebell. Now, recovery – in the form of keeping your body hydrated – starts now.
“There’s no particular amount of water we should be drinking in the in the gym, it varies depending on body type and the exercise we’re doing, but constantly sipping rather than glugging down a load at the end is ideal,” explains James Collier, Co-founder and Chief Sustainable Nutrition Officer here at Huel.
You’ll particularly want to top up the electrolytes sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), chloride (Cl-), bicarbonate (HCO3-), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), and phosphate (PO4-), all of which help maintain your body’s fluid levels, nerve function, and muscle contraction. Get cramp while working out? Lack of electrolytes could be why.
“Just sip a little bit every 10-15 minutes in between every couple of sets is ideal,” Collier says. Best keep that water bottle handy.
Two minutes post-workout
Just stepped off the treadmill? Dr Benjamin VanArendonk, a movement specialist who works with the US Department of Defence and runs his own human performance clinic, has some thoughts.
“First, foam roll, static stretch, or Theragun some of your problem muscle areas,” he says. “At this stage the body is warm and more elastic so foam rolling and stretching will be great at increasing your long term mobility and preventing injuries from sidelining you from future workouts.”
VanArendonk also points to evidence that diaphragmatic breathing – i.e. ‘Box breathing’ of five seconds in, five seconds hold, five seconds exhale etc – can reduce stress post-workout, kickstarting the recovery process.
When you get home from the gym
Apologies in advance, but it turns out that vegging out on the sofa isn’t necessarily the best post-gym hack. You have, however, earned a decent feed.
“The best time to fuel for a workout is after the previous workout, so have some protein and carbs within the two hour window,” advises Collier.
“Ensuring adequate protein intake of at least 30 grams is recommended within the first 60 minutes post-workout,” adds VanArendonk. “However, if you’re getting adequate protein throughout the day this might not matter so much. You’ll also need to ensure your calorie intake is sufficient to allow you to recover.”
A general rule of thumb for calorie consumption during recovery is 15–20 calories per pound of body weight per day, but this will depend on your individual goals and should be discussed with your PT.
That evening
After a good feed and a few hours of resting, you might start to feel sore. VanArendonk has some suggestions.
“A nice slow walk after dinner can greatly improve muscle soreness,” he says. “This is because your muscles act as a pump to move the extra fluid and metabolic waste out of your muscles and into circulation.
VanArendonk is a big fan of ice baths, touting their ability to blunt the inflammatory response and reduce pain. “If you just did an extremely hard workout, this can be an excellent tool to reduce inflammation and soreness the next day.”
“But, the inflammatory response likely drives adaptation, so I would not recommend doing this on a regular basis right after working out,” VanArendonk adds. “If you have to do this after every single workout to be able to get out of bed the next day, you are probably working out too hard.”
He’s less hot on a sauna, as it may increase the inflammatory response, causing more pain long term. Compression devices, though, get the thumbs up as a great way to move fluid out of your limbs and back into circulation, reducing stiffness and swelling.
Dinner time
Nutrition-wise, Collier says that you probably don’t need to drink anything in the last two hours before bed if you’ve been well-hydrated throughout the day – otherwise you risk interrupting your night’s sleep with trips to the bathroom, and good sleep is vital for recovery.
“As for a perfect dinner, make sure to include a good amount of protein, some slow-release carbs and lots of fibre. It helps move things along in your gut, and is good for the microbiome, which helps produce energy for you. Omega three fats like fish and nuts are great too.”
“If you’ve had a protein shake post-workout and then your dinner a few hours later you probably don’t need more food before bed,” he adds.
Pre-bed
VanArendonk knows that sleep is the absolute king when it comes to recovery and the body's adaptation to stress.
“There is no biological system that doesn't improve with sleep,” he says. “There are a variety of sleep hygiene protocols, supplements, and products you can buy to help. From my personal experience working with clients and patients this is what I recommend:
- Discontinue caffeine/stimulant use 8 hours before bed.
- Make sure your room is completely dark, and you keep your house dark an hour or so before bedtime.
- Go to bed and get up at the same time every day even on weekends
- Ensure you give yourself a big enough sleep window. Find a way to add an extra hour to your night
- Racing thoughts? Write them down in a journal next to your bed right before sleep.
- If you regularly sleepy throughout the day make sure to talk to your medical provider.
- Turn your phone off prior to bed or put it on ‘Do Not Disturb; to reduce blue light exposure. This will help your body calm down to put you in a better state to fall asleep.
- Ensure the sleep environment is cool. Your body temperature needs to drop 1-3 degrees in order to fall asleep and stay asleep.”
The morning after
The thing about Delayed Onset Muscle soreness (DOMs) is that they tend to creep up on you a day or two after your workout is done. If you’re continually working out, this means you might be dealing with one or more injuries at once – unless you give yourself a chance to recover.
VanArendonk recommends taking in 20 to 30 minutes of light cardio as soon as you wake up – even if it’s walking the dog to the coffee shop. And while while you’re there, don’t skimp on the croissants. “Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, and whole food carbohydrates help,” he says.
Collier is a fan of cereal, although you should check the sugar content of your granola. “Grains sweetened with berries is ideal, for a good mix of fibre, carbs and minerals,” he says.
If you’re still struggling, VanArendonk recommends returning to the ‘Two minutes post-workout’ protocol and stretching some more.
After that, well, it’s time to get ready to go again – only hopefully without quite so many aches and pains this time…
Words: Tom Ward
