June 11, 2019
Muscle soreness comes with the territory of living an active, healthy lifestyle. Whether you consider yourself a gym rat, an avid outdoor adventurist, or you’re getting back into the swing of a fitness routine, you’re bound to overwork from time to time. It comes as no surprise when we experience sore muscles, we’re pushing our limits and becoming stronger than we were yesterday. But do you know how to manage the pain and discomfort so you can get back to your fitness routine quickly?
Today we’re sharing our best tips for overcoming sore muscles so you can get back to your regularly scheduled programming while becoming stronger and feeling your best.
Plan a Recovery Day
Sometimes our muscle soreness can be intense and more painful than anticipated. One of the best ways to overcome the stiff, achy muscles is to exercise with light movement. Yes, even when all you want to do is chill and veg out on the couch, movement is king for recovery. The goal is to increase blood flow, feeding muscles with nutrients and supporting them through their healing process. Think of easy workouts like a walk or bike ride around the neighborhood or light exercises using your body weight.
Make Sure You’re Drinking Plenty of Water
Drinking plenty of water throughout your workout will increase performance and can potentially speed up muscle recovery, too. One consequence of exercise, especially vigorous exercise is something called delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS, which occurs from the buildup of lactic acid. If the soreness is still present after several days it could be due to the influx of white blood cells, prostaglandins, and other nutrients going in to heal the micro damage to the muscle tissue causing discomfort. Studies have shown that staying hydrated throughout your workout greatly reduces symptoms of muscle soreness related to DOMS. Plus you’ll feel much better overall!
Stretch–But Not Too Much
Light stretching can help your muscles recover quicker, too. Before your workout, practice stretches that involve movements like walking lunges or swinging legs. Afterward, you’ll want to follow up with static stretches that are held in place. Be careful not to overdo it, as overstretching can actually slow down the healing process and cause more harm than good.
Self-Massage Sore Muscles
Self-massage is great because it allows you to gently rub tender, sore areas without the intensity of a foam roller. We personally love massaging in Puriya’s Ultra Relief Cream with invigorating peppermint into sore, tender muscles and lightly stretching areas of discomfort afterward. The combination really helps soothe our tired bodies, allowing us to get back to our workout sooner rather than later.
Warm Up Before Your Workout
Before your next workout, prime your muscles and give your body time to warm up before jumping into your intense exercise. Jogging, light weights, or even speed walking; whatever fits into your fitness program, make sure you’re giving your body a chance to rev the engines before getting started. Doing so prepares your muscles for the hard work to come and prevents the likelihood of injury and intensity of muscle soreness.
Soak In A Bath
If you’re into running or cycling, you may be familiar with ice baths to help reduce swelling and inflammation, speeding up the recovery process. However, for many, the idea of soaking in a tub of ice sounds more like torture instead of a tool for relief. If that sounds like you, soaking in a warm Epsom salt bath may help soothe your tired muscles and provide relaxation. It really comes down to your preference and both are equally beneficial!