Working out is a great way to stay in shape, boost health and eliminate stress. Many of us can even become addicted to the way it helps to work our muscles and boost our endorphins.
However, muscle soreness is a common problem among those who work out regularly. We work muscles we have never worked before or push ourselves a bit further, and we wake up sore. Often, this soreness prevents us from working out efficiently the next day, and sometimes we may be unable to work out for some time.
Well, we may not be able to help you prevent soreness entirely, but we can give you some tips on how to reduce the risk or deal with soreness if it happens to you.
## Preventing Post Workout Soreness
Taking the right steps before and during your workout can keep your muscles from becoming sore.
1. Stretching: Stretching is a great way to prevent post workout soreness. Before working out, take some time to perform dynamic stretches (stretches that involve movement) and static stretches (stretches you hold).
2. Warming Up Before Weight Training: If you are weight training, it is especially important to warm up first. Not only will this reduce the risk of post workout soreness, it will lower the chances of you becoming injured during a workout.
If you are about to weight train, prepare by
doing exercises that get your heart pumping like jumping rope or jumping jacks.
3. Staying Hydrated: It is also important to stay hydrated during your workout. This will decrease post workout cramping and inflammation that contributes to soreness.
When considering which beverage to drink, water will always be your best choice. However, if you are doing a routine where you are sweating excessively, you might also want to drink a sports drink to replace electrolytes and sodium.
## Treating Post Workout Soreness
Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, our muscles still become sore during our workouts. If this happens to you, there are several things you can do to reduce pain.
1. Taking an Ice Bath: Jumping into an ice bath can be effective in reducing soreness. This isn’t always the most comfortable solution, but it does the trick.
2. Applying Warmth: Just as extreme cold can help sore muscles, heat can treat them as well. If you apply a heating pad to sore muscles, it will stimulate blood flow and ease the tension to speed up the healing process.
3. Eating Foods with Anti-inflammatory Benefits: The food you eat can also be helpful in easing soreness. There are several foods that work as anti-inflammatories. Pineapples, for example, are rich in bromelain, an enzyme that has anti-inflammatory benefits. Cherries and cherry juice are also said to have anti-inflammatory powers.
4. Massage: A massage can be another way to stimulate blood flow and reduce tension in muscles to combat soreness. However, it is best not to get a massage directly after a workout as sore muscles may be sensitive to touch. Therefore, plan on getting a massage the day after your workout to speed up the healing process.
In Conclusion
Working out is a great way to stay in shape, but muscle soreness can happen to anyone, and more often than not, you don’t even if you don’t realize it until it’s too late. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent muscle soreness and speed up healing so you can get back into your old routine before long. Good luck keeping fit and pain free!
