From CBD gel to a massage gun we test three products to help you recover from the gym
AFTER running, lifting weights or playing football, everybody needs to recover.
If you don’t, you could have reduced performance and immunity as well as changes to your metabolism and hormones.
The basics include getting proper sleep, hydration and stretching but there are also plenty of other aids on the market.
Today JANE ATKINSON looks at some of them . . .
CBD
CANABIS extract CBD is believed to help with inflammation and pain.
Recovery gels containing it can be used as an alternative to Deep Heat cream or painkillers.
Prym Health’s CBD Cooling Gel is for targeted pain relief over larger areas of the body, such as the knee or shoulder.
You get the fast, cooling relief from the peppermint and eucalyptus oil.
It contains moisturising vitamin E oil and grapefruit seed extract so it’s easy to massage in.
CBD can also reduce anxiety which is something many people with chronic pain may experience.
I used it on my calves following a run and they were less tight afterwards.
I slept like a baby too.
Be warned, stick to the amount or you will feel like you have a hangover the next day.
50ml for £29.99, prymhealth.com.
MASSAGE
THE Theragun is described as a “percussive therapy device that aims to alleviate pain and increase range of motion”.
I call it a handheld massage machine that pummels your muscles and eases tension.
There is a big version at a bigger price but I tried the Theragun Mini, 2nd generation model.
It claims to decrease muscle soreness and fatigue, release tension, speed up recovery, relieve pain and increase mobility and range of motion.
It was great.
I had a sore neck after lifting weights and it was easy to put on the tense area and give it a big workout.
There are different intensities and it has an app you can connect to.
If you suffer from severe tension, this is brilliant and works out cheaper than massages in the long run
Theragun Mini is £175 at therabody.com.
BATH
PEOPLE swear by Epsom salts after strenuous exercise and running because they can reduce muscle soreness and inflammation.
The salt is very different to the stuff we bung on our dinners.
It is derived from a naturally occurring magnesium sulphate mineral called epsomite.
Magnesium aids muscle and nerve function.
Westlab is a large mineral bathing salt brand and it has a wide range.
But it has just launched its Christmas range.
The “Festive Forest” is infused with essential oils such as cedarwood, neroli and white sage.
It smells delightful and the combination of this with a warm bath is brilliant.
Get 1kg for £9.99 at westlabsalts.co.uk.