Rigorous exercise is great for our bodies.

Our hearts and lungs get stronger, and our muscles add mass.

But exercise can also make us feel worn out and depleted.

That’s because our bodies produce lots of “stress hormones” during workouts, such as adrenaline and cortisol.

When we are done exercising, those hormones can leave us feeling weak and tired.

One way to combat post-exercise fatigue is to drink lots of Vitamin C-rich drinks that help our bodies respond better to the flood of hormones while also replacing lost fluids.

Vitamin C also plays an important role in easing muscle aches and pains, and helping stressed muscle tissue heal and recover.

Taking Vitamin C both before and after workouts helped reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in a 2006 study by the University of North Carolina.

Ginger, turmeric, omega-3 fats and naturally anti-inflammatory foods such as cherries, strawberries, blueberries, oranges and leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach can also help ease muscle aches, according to Harvard Medical School.

Here’s a delicious recipe for a smoothie loaded with anti-inflammatory fruits and vegetables. It will give you a Vitamin C boost and rehydrate your body after workouts — or anytime you’re feeling sluggish.

NADI Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie

• 1 bottle of NADI rosehip drink
• ½ cuhttps://drinknadi.com/buy/p frozen strawberries
• ½ cup frozen blueberries
• ¼ cup loosely packed fresh spinach leaves

Put all ingredients in a blender, and blend on medium speed for 20 seconds or until smooth. Makes two servings so you can share with a friend.

—Nina