I know what you are thinking. What could I possibly be doing wrong? I work out. I get really sweaty. I have a shower and I go home. What more do I need to be doing?

Unfortunately, it is not that simple. As soon as you get off the gym floor, there are some optimal behaviours that you need to develop in order to get the max benefits from your workouts. In my first 5 years of training, I followed none of these suggestions and my results were indicative of that. Here is a great opportunity to learn from some of my mistakes.

You don’t refuel after your workout. This is crucial. Even with all the information out there touting the benefits of post workout nutrition, so many people don’t bother to eat or drink anything until several hours after they train. If you work out from 3-4pm, don’t wait until dinner at 630pm to start feeding your body what it needs to begin the recovery process. You should eat or drink within 30-60 minutes of your training session. Make sure to include protein (20-30 grams), a small amount of fat, and some complex carbohydrates to replenish your energy stores. Greek yogurt, whey protein, oatmeal, yams and potatoes will all do the trick.

You keep working out after the workout is over. Save the heavy snow shoveling, branch cutting and weed pulling for another time. Post workout you want to relax and give your muscles time to recover. Further strain just prolongs the recovery process. Take a nap and then go for a walk after dinner.

You stay in your training clothes. Who doesn’t shower and change as soon as they are done their workout? Strangely enough, a lot of people stay in their same sticky, sweaty training gear for hours after they are done. Regardless of whether you can shower right away or not, change your clothes, socks, and shoes immediately to keep your muscles warm and loose. This promotes good circulation, which aids the recovery process after a workout.

You sit on your derriere for extended periods of time. It’s easy to convince yourself that you earned the remaining hours of the day on the couch with a box of pizza after you spent the last two hours at the gym. Don’t subscribe to this. Very light activity is an excellent recovery tool. It keeps blood flowing which aides in recovery and repair. Just don’t overdo it. Focus on standing more than sitting. Lots of walking and moving around. Avoid moving heavy loads.