AFTER YOU’VE GONE HARD

You’ll know when your body needs a little more TLC. After the basics, bring in additional tools for the times when you’re feeling a little more sore than usual, or when you’ve started to intensify your workouts

PERCUSSIVE THERAPY

Back to those muscle guns. While tools like vibrating foam rollers ‘shake’, these devices ‘punch’ your muscles, delivering rapid pulses known as percussion, says Richey. This targets sensory receptors in the muscle that decrease tension while boosting circulation. ‘When foam rolling isn’t cutting it, run one of these devices up and down a sore muscle for about 30 seconds before stretching it,’ says Austin Martinez, director of education at Stretchlab Franchise, a studio that specialises in flexibility training. You can also pull it out throughout the day whenever aching muscles bother you.

EPSOM SALT BATHS

An oldie but a goodie, Epsom salt (aka magnesium) soaks will ramp up your recovery efforts in a number of ways. While researchers continue to debate magnesium’s transdermal absorption (its ability to be absorbed via the skin), treating yourself to an aromatic bath relaxes you, helping your body to shift into a recovery state, says Martinez. Plus, the hot water dilates your blood vessels to increase circulation. Studies also show that a hot bath or shower before bed improves sleep – when protein synthesis happens – so it’s worth doing for the zeds.