While most people dread leg day at the gym, if you skip it too often you’ll end up rocking those chicken legs forever! One of the biggest reason so many people hate leg day is the fact that recovery can be brutal. Whether you’ve got a big week ahead of you or you’re training for a marathon, your legs need to recover properly before you can tackle your next workout. Follow these simple tips to make sure you ace your leg day recovery!
Tips for Proper Leg Day Recovery
It’s easy to max yourself out on leg day and feel like you need to take the next day or 2 off to hang out with your best friend, Netflix. While this is tempting, chilling on the couch is going to do nothing to help those skinny legs grow stronger.
Work Your Joints
Keep your legs nimble, even on your off days by working your knees in low-intensity circles. When you open and close your joints regularly, you produce vital synovial fluids that nourish and hydrate your joints. Just be sure not to hyperextend your knee and keep those circles tight to avoid excessive lateral motions that may torque your joints.
Get Familiar with Your Foam Roller
Foam rollers are one of the most underrated fitness tools available today. They are great for massaging your sore or tight muscles after an intense workout. Foam rolling helps to break up scar tissue and can be completed after your workout, the next day or anytime you feel a little pain.
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Keep Moving with Isometrics
For some people, a true rest day is almost impossible. If you find yourself itching to get up and get moving, try switching from a more high-intensity workout to a controlled isometric workout. This low-intensity option will allow your blood to start flowing safely and set you up for your next big workout at the gym.
Increase Mobility
While getting up and moving around may sound like a death sentence after a big workout, mobility exercises can help with your leg day recovery. Try out a few overhead squats to loosen yourself up and increase your blood flow. With about 5 to 10 reps completed 3 times a day, you can slowly mobilize the tightest areas of your body including your legs, hips, ankles and your lower back.
Get Up and Get Moving
A good leg day at the gym can easily leave you feeling like you’re walking on limp noodles but it’s important that you learn to recover properly to avoid injury. Whether you fall in love with your foam roller or take up low-impact exercises on your rest days, make sure you keep moving. With these simple recovery steps, you can help relieve tension, increase blood flow and prepare to hit the gym again with vigor!
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