Friday, November 21, 2008

MAKE EVERY SWEAT SESSION COUNT

What you do after your workout can determine how quickly your body bounces back. Follow these recovery tips and you'll feel ready to take on another challenge tomorrow.

* DRINK UP - Rehydrating helps stave off fatigue. "Before strenous exercise, weigh yourself," says Jacqueline Berning, Ph. D., R.D., a professor of nutrition at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado. "Stap on the scale afterward and drink three cups of fluid for every half-a-kilo you lose."

* COOL OFF - Icing can help decrease muscle inflammation, which causes stiffness. Hold on ice pack on overworked areas for 5 to 10 minutes.

* TAKE A BATH - Add two cups of Epsom salts (which are rich in magnesium) to a warm bath and relax in it for 15 minutes. Research shows that soaking in the mineral decreases inflammation.

* HIT THE SACK - Your body reparits your muscles during sleep. Aim for at least eight hours of shut-eye after a tough session.

Referral - Shape Magazine (November 08)

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