Your workout is over. You made sure you wore your brand-new compression tshirt and mens compression pants. You gave it your all, and now you’re left breathing heavy, your muscles are shaking, and there’s enough sweat pouring from you to fill a tub. This was just your first class that involved HIIT. The next step is just as important as the workout itself. Now what?
To get the most out of your workout and get a faster recovery time, you need to take specific steps to get better recovery and results. On the plus side, you can start on the right side by wearing compression gear as they will speed up your recovery time and reduce and even prevent soreness. You still have to do other steps as well to keep your body on that road to wellness.
- Every workout comes with a warmup to avoid injury. While compression gear will help, a proper warm up will always be the best solution. A good pre-workout and post-workout stretch along with your compression clothing will prevent soreness and aid your muscles in their recovery. This stretching will help reset your body to a more natural position and will also prevent stiffness. Hold each stretch for about 25-30 seconds per position.
- While your compression gear wicks away sweat to keep you comfortable, you’ll still need to hydrate. Not only to quench your thirst but because your body will dehydrate due to sweating during your HIIT workout. While water is enough to make you hydrate, if you sweat more than usual, consider a drink with electrolytes. While some sports drinks taste great, they may have a lot of sugar.
- HIIT can take its toll on your body. If needed, don’t hesitate to take an active recovery. This can help ease any soreness the stretching and compression gear weren’t able to alleviate. This usually involves a low-intensity workout. So, if you’re unusually stiff, take a yoga class to get in an extra stretch.
While men's compression pants and even wearing a compression tshirt will aid in the recovery process, they take the part of a proper warm up or cooldown. HIIT is an intense workout, and you’ll need to make sure you follow the right steps to avoid injury and enjoy a faster recovery.
