It’s common to experience muscle aches and pains when you start a new fitness regime, and this pain can last for a couple of days after you’ve completed a workout, so it isn’t surprising that a lot of people throw in the towel before they’ve really started, simply because they hate feeling sore. This is such a shame because these aches and pains, which are caused by small tears to the connective tissue and fibers of the muscle, although inevitable, so not have to be quite so painful, and in most cases, they will go away completely once you’re used to using your muscles more.
So, if you’ve just started a new exercise regimen and you’re experiencing pain, please don’t give up! Check out these tips for relieving muscle soreness instead:
Try a Heat or Ice Pack
If you’ve hurt yourself working out at the gym and your muscle is starting to feel hot, or you’ve noticed a swelling, place an ice pack into a light towel and hold it on the sore area for 15-20 minutes.
If there is no swelling and you haven’t actually injured yourself, but your muscles feel sore from the exertion, a heat pack applied to the area for the same amount of time will boost the circulation of blood to the area and soothe the pain you’re feeling.
Have a Massage
A good sports massage can unknot tight muscles and soothe the kinds of aches and pains that you get when you’ve pushed yourself at the gym.
Don’t Neglect to Stretch
Everyone knows that you’re supposed to stretch before and after your time in the gym, but a lot of people simply do not bother. If you can’t stretch before exercise, then at least make an effort to do ten minutes of stretching afterwards because this will stop your muscles from aching and getting sore in the first place. You can find out how to stretch properly by reading the 5 Best Post Workout Stretches. Memorize the information and put it into action if you want to feel good after your workout!
Switch to Light Exercise
If you’re having a real problem with muscle pain, you shouldn’t give up on your exercise regimen, but it might be wise to switch to lighter workouts that include swimming, walking and light yoga for a while instead. The very fact that you’re experiencing muscle soreness indicated that your muscles have been hard and you’re getting stronger. It also indicates that you might have been working too hard and giving them time to recover. So, not stopping your activities completely, but slowing them down a little, could be the best thing you can do for your body.
Enjoy a Warm Bath
Soaking in a warm bath is one of life’s little pleasures, and it’s also a great way of loosening your muscles and getting your blood to flow around them more efficiently. If you put magnesium flakes in the bath, you’ll get even more benefit because magnesium flakes contain adenosine triphosphate, which is the main source of energy for the body’s cells. Try it, and you’ll feel great!
Take BCAA Supplement
A lot of people find that BCAA supplements relieve their muscle soreness and several studies do seem to indicate that the supplement can help to reduce the amount of damage to the muscles that occurs during exercise. This would obviously mean less muscle soreness for anyone who decided to take it. You can read What Are The Best BCAA Supplements For Women to find out more about BCAA and where to find it. Take it before and after your workouts for best results.
Drink Water
Drinking water will rehydrate your muscles and allow them to function at their optimal levels. So that they can better repair themselves. That means that you won’t experience muscle soreness for quite as long as you would without an adequate intake of water.
Pack Away the Protein
There’s a reason why bodybuilders eat some much protein – it feeds the muscles. That’s why, after a workout, you should always eat a meal that is high in protein. Like water, it will help your muscles to repair themselves more efficiently and, if you’re looking to build a bit more muscle, it will certainly help with that too!
Wear Compression Clothing
If you wear compression clothing while you’re exercising, they will help to boost your circulation, and the easier it is for the blood to flow around your body, the faster your muscles will recover from that tough workout you’ve just put in.
Hot/Cold Shower
Taking a shower that alternates between hot and cold can also help to get the blood flowing and soothe your sore muscles to some degree. If you’re really brave, sitting in an ice bath for a little while will work wonders too.
Try Topical Ointments
There are a number of topical ointments available for sale, which can be rubbed directly onto the muscles to help soothe and repair them. Although the jury is still out on their effectiveness, many people do find them helpful, and they do at least seem to minimize pain and cool down sore muscles, for a lot of people, which means that they have to be worth a try.
Ginger
Ginger is a fantastic food. Not only is it great at relieving nausea, but some studies seem to indicate that if you take ginger for a week before you carry out intense exercise, you will feel 25 percent less sore than usual. So, invest in some ginger tea or supplements, or even better, start cooking with ginger more to reap its unique benefits.
Drink Cherry Juice
Scientists know believe that the anthocyanins and flavonoids that are found in cherry juice are the very things that help to prevent sore muscles after a workout. They have also discovered that the juice can help exercisers to recover more quickly from intense workouts. So, add some cherry juice to your post-workout water from now on if you want to feel less pain for less time when you exercise!
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