After a really tough workout, most of us need to take a step back and cool off for the night (or a few days). I like to work the soreness out of my muscles with a massage and a bath with Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate). I'm not talking about a professional massage – I mean just me or the honey rubbing some circulation through the muscles to get the blood flow up. If you can afford a professional massage after every workout, then hey, more power to you.
In reality, you don't need anything special to wind down after either a hard workout or a tough day at work – they're both equally intense sometimes! Here are a few things that I've tried in the past to relax at the end of the day. Fair warning, a lot of these don't have much to do with working out, but in some strange way they're calming nonetheless, not to mention incredibly useful.
Steam Bath – I've always loved the relaxing sensations provided by a tall facial steamer. Jar, beaker, pot – however you hold your boiling water, nothing beats the way it opens up the pores and pulls blood flow and oxygen to your face.
Fiber Supplements – You heard me, and I'm not ashamed of it. Nothing prevents you from relaxing quite like a frustrating case of constipation. My biggest struggle is deciding which one I like better: Sunsweet Prune Juice Vs. Vitafusion Gummy Fiber.
Lotion – Body lotion isn't just for ladies. If you're spending so much time working on your muscles, you might as well make sure your skin is good enough as well. I'll usually smear on some lotion after the Epsom salt bath, and for those tough to reach places I like to use a lotion applicator back. Walgreens has them but you can also find some pretty low priced ones online.
