Hunting is one of the most exhilarating sports, and it is essential to take time to recover after your hunt.
But many people don’t realize how much work, effort, and physical exerting it truly is.
Hunting requires both mental and physical stamina. These exciting excursions often last three or more days — all while hunters live off of the bare essentials they’ve packed with them. When pushing your body’s limits, injuries are not uncommon, especially when you think about the intense and varying terrain, extreme conditions, changing elevation, and limited rest. It isn’t a wonder why many hunters return home incredibly sore — even those that spend months and months of training and preparing for their adventures. Taking time to recover from your hunt is a crucial step in the process.
Below you’ll find a few things you can do to recover after your hunt.
5 Ways to Recover After Your Hunt
If you’re an avid hunter and want to continue the sport for years to come, taking care of your body and taking time to recover after your hunt is essential. Here’s what you can do to relieve sore muscles post-hunt:
- Make Time to Sleep — Sleeping is the best thing you can do to recover. Sleep fosters muscle recovery through protein synthesis and your body’s natural release of human growth hormone. But, getting a good night’s rest for one night isn’t enough — consistency is key.
- Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate — Staying hydrated during your hunt is critical; equally as critical is hydrating after your excursion. Hiking with a heavy pack through steep terrain can result in significant perspiration, leading to dehydration in extreme situations. Make a conscious effort to drink plenty of water before, during, and after your hunt, which will help your recovery.
- Feed Your Body Well — As one prepares for a hunt, it is not uncommon for the diet to get “cleaned up” a bit. Don’t revert to old habits post-hunt! Keep your healthy habits going forward and feed your body the nutrients it needs to recover fully. Moreover, your body was likely depleted of its necessities during your hunt, and replenishing yourself is essential.
- Use Compression Clothing at Home — Compression clothing helps aid in muscle recovery by creating a pressure gradient that aids in better blood circulation and helps remove cellular waste and lactic acid from your muscles.
- Stretch Your Muscles — Stretching is an underrated and underutilized tool for recovery and an effective way to relieve sore muscles after your hunt. Even before you head for the hills, include stretching in your every day exercise routine since it helps increase flexibility and your range of motion. Stretching during your hunt will help you recover once you’re home. But don’t stop stretching then! Continue stretching after your trip concludes to help relieve muscle tightness and reduce soreness.
Contact R & K Hunting Company
Beginning to end, hunting is a process that takes much thought, endurance, and time — even before the hunt even begins with planning and recovering after your hunt. Take off some of the pressure with R & K Hunting Company. We take the headaches and hassles out of planning your hunt so you can thoroughly enjoy the experience. Contact R & K Hunting Company to book your next hunt today in Utah or Wyoming.
