Essential oils are a great way to improve your mood and overall health, but did you know that they’re also a useful addition to your exercise regimen? It’s true — there are many aspects of keeping fit that benefit from essential oils. Some of them are:
Pre-workout and warming up
Warming up is a vital aspect of working out safely. Using warming or cooling essential oils, like ginger or peppermint, to aid muscles and relieve any pre-workout tension. Add a couple of drops to a carrier oil, like coconut or jojoba, and use as a pre-workout muscle rub.
Cleaning gym equipment
Yoga mats, barbells, and exercise machines can get pretty nasty after use. Purifying essential oils like tea tree oil are helpful for cleansing. Add a couple of drops into a spray bottle with water and rubbing alcohol to make an easy-to-use spray for workout equipment.
Aiding digestion
Lemongrass has many properties that may make it helpful for digestions Lemongrass also has properties that make it valuable for helping joints and muscles.
Improving hydration
Most oils aren’t recommended for internal use, but some, like lemon or sweet orange, can be used to flavor water. A single drop is enough to give a bottle of plain water a fresh, citrus taste that encourages hydration, as well as offering all of the health-boosting benefits of the oils themselves. Lemon oil is detoxifying, cooling, and can help improve digestion, among other things.
Post-workout and cooling down
Just because the reps are done doesn’t mean the workout is. Cooling down is important for letting your body unwind and get back to baseline. Lemon has natural cooling properties, while other oils, like peppermint, are helpful for easing sore, overworked muscles. Oils like lavender or clary sage are great for unwinding and relaxing after a tough workout.
It’s well known that many top athletes have a whole array of herbs and other supplements that they use to stay on top of their game, and essential oils are beginning to find their place among them. Essential oils are easy to use, long-lasting, and can have a dramatic effect on performance and recovery.
