Looking for a way to cool down consistently and gradually after an intensive work out? 

A lot of Jiu Jitsu athletes will commonly cite “no pain, no gain” as a motto, but as anyone who has trained for Jiu Jitsu knows, that’s a lot of pain to handle. Luckily, there are some natural ways to equally relieve and increase tolerance for post-work-out muscle strain and exhaustion.

Below are some options to treat pain and benefit your overall health.

1. CBD

CBD products do not get you high. CBD is an anti-inflammatory and extremely successful pain reliever used and recommended by Jiu Jitsu athletes everywhere. 

CBD products produce better, healthier sleep, in addition to de-stressing muscle tension and joint pain. Compact CBD products, like this smokeable CBD joint, provide an instant jet of relaxation and soothing comfort that is difficult to receive from other products.

The biggest benefit of CBD is that peeling aura of relief that instantly soothes the body, making this a number one choice for most Jiu Jitsu athletes.

2. Braces and Sleeves 

Braces and sleeves can help to keep strained muscles suspended in the optimal position to heal. However, these can be useful tools to stimulate and loosen up muscle tension during and after a workout, enhancing muscle recovery after strenuous exercise.

Sleeves are built with semiconductors that relieve joint and muscle tension and stimulate circulation. It will keep pressure on the muscles and relax tension after the workout, blocking stresses and strains from causing pain.

This especially keeps your muscles from locking up, or even soreness, while providing support to the areas of your body that need it. 

3. Orthopedic Pillows

Orthopedic pillows give you the night of sleep you deserve after a long workout. However, they are perfect for helping you stretch as well.

Full body pillows and neck pillows are especially designed for distributing weight evenly, so your body gets all the support it needs to carefully relieve the tension of each muscle through a deep stretch after a hard workout.

Orthopedic pillows might not be your first thought when thinking of a cool down exercise, but they are definitely one of the most reliable ways to bring down tension.

4. Power Foods

If you’re in the need for a snack after a workout, choosing the right food can be instrumental to your cooling down coming back from an intense workout.

It’s important to get plenty of potassium in your diet—it’s great for relieving muscle tension! Though the first choice might be a banana, avocados contain at least twice as much potassium as a banana. 

Cantaloupe is also a good food to eat to relieve muscle cramps, as it’s a good source of hydration and a quick way to flush your system of an abundance of sodium.  

5. Muscle Roller

Foam muscle rollers have always been particularly helpful for reducing inflammation and relieving muscle pain. 

However, most of the time, it comes down to taking away the soreness that usually accompanies pain after an intense workout. The effects generally last longer and prevent soreness if rollers are rolled over muscles for at least 20 minutes. 

One of the greater benefits of using muscle rollers is that it can prevent immediate soreness, but also delayed onset muscle soreness, which is more commonly referred to as that really painful and strained pain in the muscles hours after working out, or even the following morning.   

Maximize Your Cooldown

Feel relaxed yet? Next time your work out comes to a close, remember to make the healthy choice to relax your body and treat the tension with some of these surefire methods.