Cooling Down With Your Workout Partner

If you’re looking for something new to do with your significant other, exercising together is a great way to bond and keep each other working hard. After a rigorous workout with your partner, though, it’s important to remember to give your muscles the chance to repair themselves. What you do after exercising is just as important as any cardio or strength training routine, from stretching to spa treatments. With the right cool down routine, you can make sure that you build stronger muscle and experience a speedier recovery.

Stretching

After strength training and cardio, it’s important to make sure that you stretch out your muscles properly to decrease soreness the next day. A post-workout stretch also helps to boost circulation throughout the body and speed up the healing process for damaged muscles. Try out some couples exercises to keep yourself and your partner supple and in the best shape to recover.

• The Butterfly Stretch: Sit down on the floor and face each other, with one person putting the soles of both feet together and pulling them inwards while the other places gentle pressure on the inside of both knees.
• The Hamstring Stretch: Lying on your back, place one leg on your kneeling partner’s shoulder and have them stand to stretch your muscles.
• The Lower Back Stretch: Sit down on the floor and face each other with your legs out to the side as far as possible, toes pointing up. Hold hands and have one person lean back, pulling their partner towards them, before switching.

Bathing

Bathing briefly in a cold tub can help you to cool down after a workout and decrease inflammation in the muscles and joints. You can plunge into a bath of around 55 degrees for a couple of minutes, or you can alternate between hot and cold water in order to stimulate blood flow.

Massage

After an intense workout, nothing provides greater relief for sore muscles than a massage. You and your partner can rub each other down, or you can book a professional couples massage at Amber Spa, Colombo Court Hotel & Spa, following your session at the gym. A good massage can help to speed up recovery while reducing swelling and muscle damage. It’s important that you or your therapist focus on lower extremities where blood is prone to pooling, making sure to target glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves, and feet.

Eating

It’s a good idea to eat a mixture of carbohydrates and protein between fifteen and twenty minutes after your workout to help your muscles recover and rebuild. You can split a couple of protein shakes with your partner, or you can book a romantic steak dinner for two. No matter where you eat, don’t forget to keep drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated. After an intense workout, you need to replace the water that you lost to decrease soreness later on in the day.

So take the time to relax and rejuvenate together at Colombo Court Hotel & SpaBoutique Hotel in Sri Lanka, and you will leave feeling refreshed and your relationship stronger than ever before.

Written by Jane Sandwood