You may be one of many who are already known to dabble with essential oils when nervous or restless at night—But did you know that throwing those good ol’ oils in your bag on the way to the gym, may be as great of an idea as using lavender for that one time when you can’t sleep.
A couple of drops may be just what you need to help boost your next workout.
Here’s why: Essential oils come from flowers, fruits, plants, etc. Meaning they have a good amount of the same electrolytes as humans do!
An important thing to note is that: not all essential oils are well suited to be paired with one another! It would be better to just pick one or two oils based on what you feel your body needs that day, specifically for energy or stamina, rather than grabbing a melting pot of oils and ending up with an extreme mish-mash of a fragrance! But no matter which handful of oils you may use, you can be certain that it’ll help you stay energized and fresh for your whole workout.
Now onto 3 ways to use essential oils to boost your workout!
1. Motivation for your morning trip to the gym
Maybe an alarm clock isn’t helping you get up early to go to that morning fitness class… Even if you have one of those alarm clocks that run and roll away from you! (Yes, that IS in fact a real thing.) If you’re feeling groggy or sleepy, essential oils can help increase your motivation! Juniper Oil, has been known to act as a stimulant. It can help overcome fatigue, and grogginess in general. Just opening the bottle, breathing deeply, and inhaling once or twice could be all you need to help clear that morning drowsiness away!
Since essential oils can take anywhere around 30 minutes to be fully absorbed by your body—the best way to the get the most out of your oil use—is to try putting on a couple of drops right after waking up. This ensures that by the time you’re ready to hit the gym, you’ll be all set!
So, if you’re lacking motivation for those early morning trips to the gym—try keeping a bottle or two of strong scented oils on your nightstand. Then, reach for that Peppermint or Juniper next time you’re tempted to hit that snooze button!
2. Powering through your workout!
It seems that a lot of the time, when people think of “those essential oils”, they think only of the increasingly popular, and calming scents such as: lavender, orange, or chamomile.
But did you know that a carefully chosen oil can help with energy and a boost in your stamina? Peppermint oil actually helps with an increase in alertness and attention, along with a decrease in brain fog. Not to mention, that cooling sensation that peppermint oil gives off is not only relaxing, but the minty freshness is a powerful scent to help you pull through! Many people use Peppermint oil as a powerful motivator for studying, getting up in the morning, or clearing their senses before starting a project.
3. Relaxing & Relieving Sore Muscles
Essential oils are deeply absorbed, and are incredibly helpful for soothing all of those aching muscles!
Lavender, a widely known oil, is amazing for relaxing muscles before, or after a workout! Eucalyptus, and Rosemary, their scents are familiar to most—mainly because these oils are found in all the common chest rubs you get for coughs at the pharmacy! But did you know these oils are not just good for easing that cough? Those same properties in the oils that can help relax your hacking cough are great for restoring aching muscles.
Peppermint oil gives off that lovely cooling sensation, that some find calming for the soreness of muscles. A few drops of peppermint on a sore muscle, or bruise can be very comforting.
Frankincense, Sage, and Chamomile are just a few other oils that can be good for helping restore tired muscles.
The best way to get the most out of using essential oils for sore muscles is to apply a few drops directly on the sore spots, then self-massaging, foam rolling, or rubbing them in—before hitting the sack to get some sleep for the night. Going to sleep right after applying the oils gives your body a chance to get a well-rested night—which is especially important since your body does most of its rejuvenation while you’re asleep!
NOTE: Some people have skin sensitivities to the direct application, or use of essential oils. Try mixing your essential oils with a carrier oil, like Coconut oil. Mixing your essential oils with a carrier oil can also help the scent last longer on your skin, and prevent dryness or irritation.
Another important thing to note is that you should never go out in the sun with a photosensitive oil, such as Lemon oil, on your skin. The oil could potentially burn your skin when exposed to the sun for extended periods of time.
If it seems you are having a reaction to any type of oil, discontinue use, and wash off with cool water and mild soap.
When used correctly, Essential oils can improve and boost energy, increase motivation, relieve sore muscles, and definitely help you smell better before or after a workout.
So, what are you waiting for? Go test out some oils and see which scents work best for you!