by Kyuri Lin

Recover the right way after exercise to build strong muscles and minimize soreness with CBD.

Don’t take your body for granted! Your human suit works hard everyday to function correctly, and when everything’s feeling good, you don’t notice it. Until your body malfunctions, causing pain or soreness, drawing your attention to the situation and demanding a fix. 

How can we cherish and appreciate our bodies? By creating new habits and incorporating better routines around exercise recovery, as well as adding CBD products to the mix.

Here’s my five most effective tips so you can feel your very best after a workout.

Stretch it out: 

When working out, we stress our muscles, creating micro tears in them which causes them to build back stronger and bigger. When we work out our muscles without warming them up first, they stay tight and stiff, which can potentially lead to injury. Stretching your muscles helps them stay long and limber. Always stretch after a workout and warm up beforehand.

Get a good night’s sleep: 

Sleep is essential for recovery. While you sleep, your body repairs itself. Active rest works a bit differently, and it helps calm our nervous system. When incorporating meditation or breathing practices, sitting still without distractions or stimulation while awake, we are able to promote activation of our parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and lessen our fight/flight response (sympathetic nervous system SNS). When we are able to tap into our PNS, which creates the rest and digest response, we can change how we’re affected by pain and other stresses of the mind. 

Taking 5 to 10 minutes each day to lay in a comfortable position while taking deep breaths. Doing a “body scan” while in this meditative state can help you become more aware of your body and how it feels throughout the day.

CBD/ THC/ Relaxing strains: 

When we carry a lot of tension in our  bodies, it becomes difficult to relax. This is where CBD and THC can really help you to  let go of stored tension and stress. If you don’t like feeling high from THC, you can try higher CBD strains or ratio products like soft gels and tinctures that soothe aches and soreness  after an intense workout. 

Eat a well rounded diet:

There are a few foods that are perfect for recovery, such as raspberries/blueberries & green tea (antioxidants), banana/bell pepper (potassium), oatmeal (whole grains) and WATER.

Protein is also necessary for optimal muscle recovery and it doesn’t have to come from meat! Chia seeds and spinach are packed with protein and essential vitamins that can help reduce recovery time.

Other foods, that you may want to avoid are actually pro-inflammatory like highly refined flours, gluten, as well as diets high in trans- & saturated-fatty acids.

Massage or foam roll: 

Massage isn’t just good for sore muscles, it’s also good for the soul! A foam roller is a great alternative for self-care, especially now when Covid-19 is keeping us apart physically, but there is something truly healing when a massage is received. Most adults don’t get the opportunity to be touched in a nurturing, caring and nonsexual way on a regular  basis (if you do, you’re very lucky). This type of human contact is integral to a healthy and happy mind/body. It is also a way of social bonding for us which in turn can help us cultivate more warm and intimate relationships.

I hope these tips help you feel your very best after your workout. Don’t forget to hydrate, eat healthy and take care of your mental health. Wellness is about taking care of all the different aspects of you and I hope these help you along your way!
 

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Kyuri Lin is a yoga therapist and content creator based out of Southern California. Her passion for wellness, the great outdoors, travel and cannabis led her to work in the health and fitness industry. Since 2014, Kyuri has worked with clients one-on-one to help them reach their fitness goals, and improve their moods and enhance their lives. As a cancer survivor, Kyuri has a valuable perspective on wellness, and she believes that cannabis and yoga can be an important part of healing journeys.