Five Must Have Recovery Items for Athletes

Image source: Deposit Photos

Whether you are a weekend warrior or a serious athlete, recovery is essential. If not, you’ll

wind up injured, burned out, and suffer poor performance. Many people think recovery is just

sitting at home on the couch, but it’s much more than that. By taking steps to actively recover,

you can ensure that your muscles are healing and ready to tackle your next exercise session.

Here are five must have recovery items for athletes.

1. Foam Roller

Foam rollers offer a form of myofascial release that helps loosen up the knots and tight spots in your body. You can use a foam roller to target your glutes, IT band, quads, hamstrings, and

calves. You can also use it on your shoulders and thoracic muscles, but always use caution when using a foam roller near your spine.

2. Lacrosse Ball

A lacrosse ball is another tool that you can use for myofascial release. Since a lacrosse ball is

smaller, it can pinpoint certain trigger points, or areas where you feel a lot of discomfort. You

can also use it to roll your feet out and can be used on your shoulders, upper back, and lower

back with less concern about hurting your spine, like with a foam roller.

3. Heat and Cold Therapy

Sore muscles happen and using hot and cold therapy can greatly increase the recovery process and make it easier for you to function. You can use ice packs, heating pads, or hot and cold creams. You can also invest in patches that release medication directly on your muscles for hours at a time, like the Sinsinpas Arex patches. They won’t fall off and last longer than regular pain-relieving creams.

4. Stretching Straps

Stretching is essential to recovery and should be a part of your daily routine. If you’re not very

flexible or find stretching uncomfortable, then use stretching straps that can help you place

your legs and arms in the proper places without hurting yourself. A good stretching strap even

comes with numbered loops so know how you are progressing in your flexibility!

5. Epsom Salt

Epsom salt has been around for many years and it is still a great way to recover from a difficult

workout. Pour some Epsom salt into your tub and soak for 20 minutes to relax and let your

muscles recover.

Recovering properly is incredibly important for your body and can also be very relaxing. By

investing in the proper tools, you can make recovering from a hard workout easier and more

fun. These tools can take you from feeling “just okay” to “feeling great” in no time!