This article originally appeared in Shape.com.
These days, regeneration takes many forms, from active (stretching, foam rolling, yoga, myofascial release) to passive (compression boots, infrared saunas, massage, cold dunks).
“All of these enhance blood flow, which delivers more oxygen to speed up the recovery of muscles and other soft tissues,” says Michele Olson, Ph.D., an exercise scientist at Huntingdon College in Alabama and a Shape Brain Trust member. “Such recovery also increases our natural level of pain relievers, the beta-endorphins.” Bottom line: Give your body the recovery it needs, and you’ll work out harder and smarter.
That said, new gadgets and hack-y techniques can be fun, but the best post-workout Rx is simple: stretch.