FitnessIncorporating Muscle Recovery Into Your January Weight Loss Routine

So, it is the start of a new year, and after the unexpected year that 2020 turned out to be, you are feeling keen and eager to get all your resolutions in place ready for the next year. You may have already sat down and decided exactly what you want to achieve in the coming year, and like most people, losing weight is probably high up there on your list of priorities.

 However, when it comes to planning and scheduling the perfect weight loss routine, very few people remember to include the most important ingredient: muscle recovery. To achieve your weight loss and healthy lifestyle goals in 2021, it is crucial that you incorporate rest days and recovery into your plan. Otherwise, your weight loss routine will come to an abrupt halt when either your body or your motivation give in first. So, here is everything you need to know about why and how you should incorporate muscle recovery into your January weight loss routine. 

Getting started

If you haven’t already then January is the perfect time to think about what you want to achieve in the next 12 months and put a plan in place so that you know how you are going to do it. January offers a fresh start to leave behind any missed opportunities of the year before, and instead opens the door for us to achieve whatever it is we want. However, it is important that you also use January not only as a time to think about what goals you have, but also to do your research so that you can achieve them in the healthiest way possible.

Many people make the mistake of overwhelming themselves in January and pressure themselves into thinking that the only way to achieve their weight loss goals is to force their bodies through intense daily workouts. However, this couldn’t be further from reality and instead, recovery is a crucial part of achieving your goals.

Can recovery help aid my weight loss?

So, while society teaches us that to lose weight you must hit the gym 7 days a week and dramatically cut down your calorie intake in order to drop a dress size, there is a lot more to it than that. You may even be surprised to learn that in order to healthily and consistently lose weight, you will need to incorporate some time for your muscles to recover post-workout.

If you have gone from hibernation mode in December, meaning that you’ve stayed at home under the blanket with a box of chocolates, then forcing your body into a strict exercise regime in January can be a severe shock to the system. Therefore, we recommend that you are kind to your body and for every intense workout you do, you give your body the time to recover. This is crucial to a long-term weight loss routine, otherwise if you push your body too hard you could suffer injury that could mean having to stop your weight loss exercise routine altogether.

What are muscle recovery activities?

When we refer to rest days and muscle recovery, it is important to know that we don’t just mean spending a rest day sitting on the sofa starting a new show on Netflix. Instead, muscle recovery refers to taking a break from intense forms of exercise, while also providing your body with the equipment and activities required to help speed up the recovery process.

There are different types of recovery: active and passive recovery. Passive recovery means no activity at all and is usually required due to injury or pain. However, there are forms of active recovery that you can take part in which will help your muscles repair the micro-tears in the tissue more effectively and sooner.

Yoga

While yoga has become an increasingly popular form of exercise in the western world in recent years, it is also the perfect muscle recovery activity. It is a low impact form of exercise that helps to stretch out muscles and increases flexibility. Yoga can also effectively reduce stress levels and ease inflammation, which is very beneficial to both the mind and body post-workout.

Muscle recovery equipment

Thanks to technological advancements, there are now pieces of equipment on the market that target muscle recovery to help muscles to recover quicker and more effectively. It is crucial that your muscles are fully healed before you head back into the gym to avoid injury or discomfort.

So, by using Pulseroll’s foam roller, you can use vibration technology to help reduce muscle tightness, increase flexibility, and limit the next day soreness that is common after a heavy workout. Muscle recovery equipment, such as the foam roller, is an invaluable piece of equipment that can bring you the benefits of professional massage to the comfort of your own home.

Now that January has arrived, it is the time for us all to think about what we want to achieve in the coming year, and to think about the changes we want to make to our body by the time the next new year comes round.

Therefore, by incorporating muscle recovery into your weight loss routine, you can improve your chances of sticking to your new regime while also making those changes in a healthy and sustainable way.

This post has been sponsored by KW Digital