Top 10 Favorite Things For Post Workout Care

High volume and high intensity CrossFit workouts have done a number on my body.  Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade the blood, sweat, and tears for the world, but I have learned {the hard way} the value of post-workout care.

Most days the minute the workout is over I’m curled up in the fetal position on the floor for a good 10 minutes.  I’ve heard people say that CrossFit makes you “harder to kill,” but I’m pretty sure my toddler could outrun me after my 8:30AM class.  God help me if I ever get mugged at 9:45 in the morning.

I asked my fellow gym members at CrossFit Apollo what they did to take care of their bodies post-workout and I knew I’d get some good feedback.  A lot of the suggestions you’ll see below come from my WOD buddies at Apollo.  The very first response:

“I typically look at the ground and try not to puke.”

These are my people.

After suffering an injury last fall I’ve learned that post workout care is equally (if not more) important than warming up before a workout.  Here’s a quick list of my favorite post-workout care routines and products.

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 1.Mobility Bands:  Our coaches put us through a number of mobility stretches that help to relieve soreness and improve flexibility.  Mobility Bands are used daily in our gym.  The possibilities with these bands are endless.  We most frequently use these to stretch out our shoulders and hamstrings.   2.  Foam Roller:  I use my foam roller on a daily basis.  After a long week of what seems like soreness in every muscle of my body, nothing feels better.  I mostly use this for my back, but it also feels great on my hamstrings and quads.  Here’s a great list of 8 Foam Roller Exercises from Oxygenmag.com

3.  Lacrosse Ball:  Every once in a while I get a knot under my shoulder-blade that just kills me.  I stand up against a wall, put that lacrosse ball right on the knot (between the wall and my body), and roll it out.   You can use a lacrosse ball on any specific muscle area that needs to be loosened up.  Take some deep breaths.  This one feels just lovely.

4.  Bath with Epsom Salt and/or Lavender Essential Oil:  I’ve always been more of a shower person… until I started CrossFit.  I’ve taken more baths in the last 2 years than I have in my entire life.  After Karen (150 wall balls for time), the ONLY thing that sounds like a good idea is a bath!  Adding a drop of Lavender to the bath is great for relaxation.

5.  Callus Shaver:  I am notorious for hand tears.  The very first time I attempted pull ups, my hands tore.  It’s a bloody mess, they sting like crazy, and I avoid washing my hair for as long as possible.  While I think tearing can be inevitable, I try my hardest to get in the habit of filing my calluses down with a callus shaver.

6.  Lavender Essential Oil or Hemorrhoid Cream:  Like I just said, hand tears are pretty much inevitable in the CrossFit world.  My go-to hand tear product was Hemorrhoid Cream, but a few good friends have recommended Lavender Essential Oil to soothe those painful tears.  I’ve got to admit it seems to do the trick and I don’t miss going to ask the pharmacist where the Hemorrhoid Cream is located in the drug store.

7.  Deep Blue DoTerra Rub:  My good friend Krista let me sample the Deep Blue DoTerra Rub on my sore muscles and I like it!  A little bit goes a long way, it soothes the area, and I’m told it can even help with long term care.

8.  FOOD, Water and/or Post-Workout Recovery Shake:  I am hungry All. The. Time.  Besides sore muscles, high intensity training and weight lifting means my body is burning fat all day long.  Eating a healthy meal with protein immediately after a workout is essential for rebuilding muscle and refueling my beat up body.  Believe it or not, I used to think that protein powder would make me “bulky.”  Just writing that sentence annoys me now.  Snickers Bars might have made me bulky in the past, but protein shakes definitely have not.  Drink water and lots of it!  Your body needs to stay hydrated in order to heal.

9.  Ice and Ice packs:  Icing my shoulder was probably the single most effective treatment for my injury.  I am constantly icing my sore muscles.  It gives amazing relief, but also reduces inflammation.  If I’ve got an area of my body that’s hurting, I get out my Ice pack!

10.  Massage:  I’m not talking a light, fluffy massage, but a deep-tissue massage.  It hits the spot for me.  Mother’s Day, my birthday, anniversary, you name it… a gift card for a massage is ALWAYS a fabulous idea.

Well, there you have it… my Top 10 Favorite Things for Post Workout Care!  Do you have a post-workout tip that I don’t know about?  Let me know in the comments below!

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If you liked this post you might also like Working Out Through An Injury.