After The Gym, Freshen Up Like A Pro
Your colleagues will never know you were just soaked in sweat
It feels great after an intense gym session to look put together and return to work or errands with ease and energy. Here are five ways my colleagues and I master the non-exercising part of the workout.
Pack Products Smartly
Keep it simple by keeping a gym-only bag with all your necessary gear and grooming products. Identify the essential and eliminate the rest. I use travel bottles and sample-sized products to minimize risks of spilling. I also add a toothbrush and toothpaste — there’s an added bonus to walking out of the gym when you have great breath.
Take a Luke-Warm Shower
Though a cold shower is often suggested, my colleague Marni Gould, a skin care and rejuvenation specialist, recommends a lukewarm one instead. “Taking an ice cold shower after a workout can be a shock to the skin,” says Marni. “While it might constrict the capillaries on the face, if someone is prone to broken blood vessels, the drastic change in temperature can actually cause more.” If you’d prefer not to wash your hair after every workout, some people swear by dry shampoo. Be sure to research the right product for your hair type, as not all are created equally.
Honour the Cool Down
She recommends giving your body time to cool down naturally. Speak to your fitness trainer about the best cool down for you – may it be stretching, the cardio machine or something entirely different like a five-minute meditation. Marni likes the low-intensity cardio machines for her cool down, which allow her to hydrate easily.
Protect That Post-Workout Glow
Under your sweat is a glorious glow from all the endorphins released during your workout. Make sure that radiance carries through your day by treating your skin after your shower. Marni recommends using a gentle cleanser after a workout (as opposed to a stronger one in the morning and at night), a moisturizer (preferably with SPF) and your other go-to grooming products in your gym-only bag.
Refuel 30 to 60 minutes post workout
Post-workout nutrition reduces exercise-induced stress, helps you return to baseline energy and refuels the body’s energy sources. Nutritional guidance is best when coming from a registered dietitian who recognizes your personalized needs.
Anna Topali, a fitness trainer at Medcan, enjoys strength, conditioning and postural work with her clients.
