4 Ways To Recover Right
- By Sarah Wassner Flynn
- Published Feb 23, 2012
- Updated Feb 23, 2012 at 5:25 PM UTC
Don’t let winter training take its toll on your body—4 things to do after every workout so you’re ready to take on your next tough effort.
Rub It
As if you needed another excuse to get a massage, here’s one more: Experts say that rubbing down muscles after exercise is as effective in preventing soreness than aspirin or other pain medicine. In a recent report in the journal Science Translational Medicine, researchers from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, Calif., write that massage slows production of chemicals in the body linked to swelling, soreness and inflammation. Not only that, a good rub down increases blood flow and promotes the formation of mitochondira—which our body needs to create energy. So go ahead, book some time on the table after your next hard effort (or just grab your foam roller and self-massage). Your muscles will thank you.
