A few of your muscles or tendon fibers will likely tense slightly or even become injured after engaging in a vigorous activity like yoga. This may go unnoticed. However, if you practice a posture wrongly or when you don’t refill your body to heal itself, the body is more vulnerable to accidents.
After a yoga class, the meals you select and the time you eat are as essential as what you consume before class, so it would be worth thinking about what we will do next.
Find out the things you should do after your yoga class and keep yourself healthy and fit. You might also enjoy reading: Yoga Vs. Cardio: What Are The Benefits Of Each? Check out a video summarizing this article that we have uploaded to our YouTube channel.
Table of Contents
6 Things You Should Do After Your Yoga Class
If you are a yoga lover, I have good news for you: here are the tops 6 things you should do after your yoga class.
1- Rest After Yoga
So do you need to rest after yoga? Well, don’t forget to take a break as soon as your yoga practice is over. The most crucial pose of your whole practice is Savasana, your resting position after yoga. It’s because your body can cool down and assimilate all you learned during the session if you’re in the last resting pose.
Savasana can also allow you to increase your focus and concentration by lowering your respiration rate, heart rate, and blood pressure.
However, some people omit Savasana for a variety of reasons. Some students believe they are simply too busy to take a five-minute break after class. Others find lying motionless extremely difficult and are eager to go on with their day.
Studies reveal that a regular meditation practice (like Savasana) can help relieve stress and anxiety in the long term.
The truth is that the folks who tend to neglect this final position are the ones who will profit the most from it. If you’re often on the move or sense like your brain is racing, these five minutes are crucial for practicing being calm and present.
2- Clean Your Mat
Are you one of those people that roll up your mat and rush out the door after class? Next time, consider how many germs are also on the thing!
Germs love moist, humid locations like your tightly wrapped yoga mat, so no matter how perfect your yoga studio appears, you might still pick up a few germs. If you don’t clean your mat correctly, it will not only begin to stink, but you will also put yourself and your family in danger for a variety of illnesses.
So, how, then, do you thoroughly clean your mat? Here are a few options available to you:
- Combine a few cups of water and several drops of dish soap (do not use too much, or your mat will become too slick when dry). Scrub it lightly with a damp sponge, and then rinse it thoroughly using hot water and hang it to dry.
- After class, clean down your mat with a moist towel and a pre-made mat sanitizing spray. These are available for use in many studios and gyms.
- With lemon, water and tea tree, or lavender oil, create your homemade mat-sanitizing spray. Those oils are all-natural antibacterial and antifungal.
- Many yoga mats can even be washed in the washing machine. Check the manufacturer’s website to see whether yours is one of them.
See also: 9 Best Yoga Mat For A More Blissful Practice
3- Take a Shower
Hitting the shower is also essential after your yoga practice, particularly if you’ve just taken an extra sweaty class like Bikram or Ashtanga yoga.
When you sweat during your yoga, your body releases toxins. Those toxins will stay on without taking a shower and ultimately be absorbed back into your skin.
After every class, properly wash off your skin and use a loofah or the back scrubber in the shower to remove any lingering filth. To keep your skin from getting dry, finish with a light moisturizer.
See also: Hot Yoga Vs. Regular Yoga: What Are The Differences?
4- Drink Water After Yoga
People ask whether they can drink water after yoga or not. So, after a yoga lesson, it’s critical to drink plenty of water. Rather than sugary sports drinks, stick to plain old water. When you sweated much during the session, coconut water, a natural provider of electrolytes, can be a good choice.
But, right before your class, try to avoid drinking a lot of water. Drinking a lot of water right before your yoga practice may make you feel uncomfortable and occasionally even make you nauseous.
5- Drink Green Smoothies
Drinking smoothies is one of the best ways to consume more healthy foods after your yoga class.
Smoothies, mainly green smoothies, are convenient and simple and save you time and stress in preparing a whole meal.
You need to have your ingredients ready, put them in your blender, and hit the shower. Ensure you use leafy greens, fruits, some protein, and liquid. Drinking smoothies will fill and hydrate you, and it only takes a minute to make.
See also: 31 Smoothie Pros and Cons You Didn’t Know About.
6- Eat Nutritious and Healthy Food
You’ll most likely feel hungry following your class, particularly if it is early in the morning when you didn’t get time to eat before.
Let’s take a closer look at three crucial nutrients you can consume after your yoga session.
- Fruits are essential for you – After a yoga session, fruits are among the nicest things to have; they are simple carbohydrates to refill your body and water, electrolytes, and vitamins that hydrate and nourish you. Carbohydrates are the most important component because they will refill your muscles and keep your nervous system healthy and your brain active.
- Provide nutrients to your muscles – Protein is what makes up your muscles. Therefore, it’s no wonder that having some protein in the post-yoga snack selection can help your muscles strengthen and recuperate. This isn’t to say you should go out and get one of those unhealthy protein shakes or bars immediately. Supplements containing processed proteins aren’t necessary or even suggested. They are either high in preservatives, added sugar, or include more protein than you require. Instead, choose natural protein sources like grains, nuts, and dread fruits.
- Natural protein sources will aid in the recovery and strengthening of your muscles. You don’t have to go crazy with the protein, though. To keep your muscles pleased after an exercise, you just need roughly 10 to 20 grams of protein. Any excess protein you ingest will be stored as fat, which is why you don’t need all those high-protein supplements — it’s actually a lot easier and less expensive.
- Get your electrolytes – Commercial beverages usually don’t include most of the electrolytes that the body requires after a decent yoga session. Sugar, on the other hand, is abundant. Instead of these drinks, replace them with water and fruit.
See also: The Best 32 Healthy Foods – Based on Science
Is It Ok to Take a Bath After Yoga?
It is okay to take a bath after yoga, and always take a bath after a yoga class, particularly if it is a sweaty one. When you sweat, the body releases pollutants, so if you wouldn’t take a shower, those toxins will remain on your skin and ultimately be absorbed back into it.
If you sweat profusely throughout a class, the pores open even more, allowing dirt and bacteria to collect in and create breakouts.
See also: Does Crystal Light Count as Water?
What Should I Avoid After Yoga?
As a post-workout meal or snack, it’s best to stay away from foods high in sugar and fat. For example, a yoga practice may drive you to overindulge in a high-sugar treat like a cupcake or milkshake.
These may be pleasurable, but they are counterproductive to your health goals. Meals that are high in fat and heavily processed, like fries or chips, are not recommended.
Can We Drink Water After Yoga?
After your yoga practice, drinking plenty of water is a great way to rehydrate and help you recover, and keep your muscles from tensing or cramping.
I suggest you avoid consuming drinks that contain sugar, alcohol, or caffeine because they can further dehydrate you and cause fatigue, cramping, and even muscle stiffness.
However, it is best to avoid drinking water immediately, before, or throughout your yoga class. When practicing a fast-paced yoga class, to maintain hydration, try to drink at least eight ounces of water at least 30 minutes before your yoga practice. If you can, try to avoid drinking water immediately before or during your practice class.
Read: Should You Really Drink Water During Yoga? (Here’s the truth!)
Final Thoughts
The most important thing to do after your yoga practice is Savasana. You need to lie on your back and stay there for about least five to ten minutes to allow your practice to settle in.
With Savasana, you minimize all sensory stimulation and external distractions and allow the body to relax completely.
