With quarantine somewhat lifted, some of you are either back in the gym, have a pretty good flow with the home workouts, or if you're like me, then you don't have a routine yet. All of these are perfectly fine because this article isn't about your actual workout, but more so about what you should be doing after. There are a lot of resources that focus on weight loss and toning, but do you know what to do for your post-workout recovery?
From muscle-relaxing tips to skincare essentials, let's get into what experts say your body needs for a healthy recovery.
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You Gotta Cool Down
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One vital post-workout recovery tip is cooling down and lowering your heart rate. Cooling down prevents dizziness and allows the blood to flow back to the muscles you've worked on during your workout. Cooling down can look like a slow walk, stretching, etc. Whichever you choose, it should last for at least five minutes at a continuously reduced speed.
Finding the right recovery routine can take time. For Atlanta-based fitness trainer, Toi Sharae, it took multiple trials and errors before she found what worked best for her body. What she found worked more efficiently was starting with a foam roller, stretching the body, drinking water, and eating a healthy post-workout snack.
Drinking water also has many post-workout benefits like maintaining body temperature, lubricating joints, and promoting proper cell and tissue function.
Give Your Muscles Some TLC
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Foam rollers are one of the best ways to go in and remove soreness and tension in the muscles. It's one of those feel-good pains where it may hurt at first but is very beneficial later. Using a foam roller can help you get ready for a workout or help you recover faster. Think of foam rolling as a way to massage your body after an intense workout. By doing this, you prevent injury, boost performance, and improve your flexibility and range of motion.
When it comes to foam rolling correctly, there are a few things you want to know. First, slowly run the roller down your calves, hamstrings, etc. Then, use your body weight to apply as much pressure as you can handle. Toi Sharae also mentions that having the right foam roller for your needs is essential, "I use a medium-sized firm and high-density foam roller to help target certain areas in my body that need more attention. I do recommend if you are a beginner in foam rolling, start with a less dense roller to get used to the pressure."
Your Skincare Is Important Too
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Working out regularly can have some positive effects on your skin, depending on your routine. Dermatologist, Dr. Mona Gohara says regular exercise can actually provide many skincare benefits like leaving your face with a healthy natural glow and improving your skin elasticity. It can also decrease your cortisol levels, which is a hormone that maintains blood pressure, blood sugar, metabolism, and responds to infections and stress. Cortisol can worsen acne and other skin conditions, so finding your zen zone and exercising is key!
On the flip side, it's crucial to clean and hydrate your skin post-workout. When you exercise, you sweat a lot, so showering post-workout is essential to remove bacteria from the skin. Both Dr. Gohara and Toi Sharae recommend using Dove's Deep Moisture Instant Foaming Body Wash. It's gentle, lightweight, and formulated with NutriumMoisture technology that cleans, softens, and hydrates the skin for 24 hours.
Lastly, exfoliating your skin (body and face) before and after a workout is another helpful tip. It helps remove all the dirt, oil, and other build-up that sweat can trap inside your pores. If not, it can lead to breakouts and clogged dry skin. So after your next workout, make sure you stretch, foam roll, cleanse, and exfoliate to get the maximum benefits for your muscles and skin.
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While an evolution is a natural progression that happens as businesses grow, a rebrand is a total change. Lola tells xoNecole, "A total rebrand is necessary when a business’s current reputation/what it’s known for is at odds with the business’s vision or direction.
"For example, if you’ve fundamentally changed what your product is and does, it’s likely that your brand is out of alignment with the business. Or, if you find your company is developing a reputation that doesn’t serve it, it might be time to pump the brakes and figure out what needs to change.
She continues, "Sometimes you’ll see companies (especially startups) announce a name change that comes with updated messaging, visuals, etc. That usually means their vision has changed or expanded, and their previous branding was too narrow/couldn’t encompass everything they planned to do."
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The Brand Doula was born in 2019, and its focus is on putting "the experiences, goals, and needs of women of color founders first," as well as brands with "culture-shifting missions."
According to Lola, culture-shifting is "the act of influencing dominant behavior, beliefs, or experiences in a community or group (ideally, for the better)."
"At The Brand Doula, we work with companies and leaders that set out to challenge the status quo in their industries and communities. They’re here to make an impact that sends ripples across the market," she says.
"We help the problem solvers of the world — the ones who aren't satisfied with 'this is how it's always been' and instead ask 'how could this be better?' Our clients build for impact, reimagining tools, systems, and ways of living to move cultures forward."
The Brand Doula has worked with many brands, including Too Collective, to assist with their collaboration with Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty and Balanced Black Girl for a "refresh," aka rebrand. For businesses looking to rebrand, Lola shares four essential steps.
1. Do an audit of your current brand experience — what’s still relevant and what needs to change? Reflect on why you’re doing the rebrand in the first place and what success would look like after relaunching.
2. Tackle the overall strategy first — before you start redesigning logos and websites, align on a new vision for your brand. How do you want your company to be positioned moving forward? Has your audience changed at all? Will your company have a fresh personality and voice?
3. Bring your audience along the journey — there’s no need to move in secret. Inviting your current audience into the journey can actually help them feel more connected to and invested in your story, enough to stick around as changes are being made.
4. Keep business moving — one of my biggest pet peeves is when companies take down their websites as soon as they have the idea to rebrand, then have a Coming Soon page up for months! You lose a lot of momentum and interest by doing that. If you’re still in business and generating income, continue to operate while you work on your rebrand behind the scenes. You don’t want to cut existing customers off out of the blue, and you also don’t want so much downtime that folks forget your business exists or start looking for other solutions.
While determining whether the rebrand was successful may take a few months, Lola says a clear sign that it is unsuccessful is negative feedback from your target audience. "Customers are typically more vocal about what they don’t like more than what they do like," she says.
But some good signs to look out for are improvements in engagement with your marketing, positive reviews, press and increase in retention, and overall feeling aligned with the new branding.
For more information about Lola and The Brand Doula, visit her website, thebranddoula.com.
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