6 Mistakes You Are Making After Your Workout

Let’s be honest, there is nothing quite like that post-exercise high. You feel lighter, stronger and like you can conquer the world. You are ready to face the rest of the day with a newfound energy or if you have just finished a late night session, you are ready to go home and prepare for a new day.

But after a while, we start to become complacent. We don’t prepare our meals ahead of time or decide to use the rest of the day to slack off.

Here are the top 6 things that could be undoing all your hard work at the gym.  

1. You forget to hydrate

Hydrating after a workout should be at the top of your priority list. Not only will you ensure you replace your body’s water levels lost during exercise, it will also help regulate your heartbeat quicker after a high-intensity workout. Drinking water following a workout will also help keep your energy levels at an optimum level throughout the day, will keep your metabolism going and will ensure you snack less throughout the day.  

2. You hydrate wrong 

Skip sugar filled sports drinks and rehydrate with a natural source. Opt for water or natural sources of leukocytes such as coconut water. While sports drinks have been marketed as the holy grail of rehydration, they are packed full of sugar and fructose syrup. Making them a regular treat will not only add back to your calorie count, but will stop your body from metabolising.  

3. You rush your stretch

We have all been guilty of that 5-minute, half-assed, post-workout stretch. We have places to be and people to see after all. However, the cold hard fact is that stretching should be considered as important as exercising and a part of the routine, not just an afterthought.

Stretching helps the body recover by breaking down the lactic acid built up during exercise which will speed up your recovery process, lead to greater flexibility and help prevent injury.

4. You wipe your face with a dirty towel

Working up a sweat makes our faces even more susceptible to breakouts. On the one hand, it opens our pores bringing toxins and trapped dirt to the surface. This offers the perfect opportunity to cleanse your pores clean and to showcase a glowing complexion. However, wiping your face with a dirty towel, which has been used to wipe down dirty gym equipment, can be likened to wiping your face on a toilet seat. Carry facial wipes in your gym bag and a spare towel for your face, always.  

5. You stay in sweaty clothes too long 

We have all been guilty of coming home from a workout, making our shake, sitting on the couch and flicking through our Instagram. We’ve earned the downtime after all. However, a shower and change of clothes should be the first thing on the agenda. Not only because the gym is one of the dirtiest places we visit, but also because whilst we focus on our face, our body is also prone to breakouts. You also want to avoid nasty fungal infections like athletes foot.  

6. You stop moving 

While it may be tempting to come home after a workout and take a nap, you should keep moving at a moderate pace for at least and hour or two following your workout. This means run some errands, do some housework or simply keep moving at the office. By going straight to the couch or going for a nap after your workout, you won’t be giving your body proper time to cool down and recover.