Ways To Ease Sore Muscles After A Workout

A bit of muscle soreness after a workout is actually beneficial. Sore muscles 24 to 48 hours post-workout are called delayed onset of muscle soreness. DOMS indicates that you put enough stress on your muscles to cause them to adapt, which means you will get results. Suffering through the pain doesn't improve your fitness level. There are ways to ease sore muscles from a tough workout.

Gentle Exercise

Exercise may seem like an odd antidote to exercise-induced muscle soreness, but gentle exercise promotes blood flow and warms the muscles to reduce pain. Thirty minutes of light intensity exercise like walking relieves pain and teaches your body to work through the soreness. Moderate and vigorous intensity exercise such as running or weightlifting may make your soreness worse, so do not do anything strenuous. Warm-ups before working out also prevent muscle soreness. Slow exercise or stretching for 10 minutes before a workout is sufficient. Do a short cool-down to gradually bring your heart rate back to normal after your workout as well.

Heat

Heat warms the muscles and increases blood flow like gentle exercise, but without the effort. Apply a heating pad to the sore area or take a warm bath to relieve sore muscles. Jacuzzis and spas help ease muscle soreness, but speak with your doctor about them, because they can be risky for some people. Use heat on sore muscles for at least 20 minutes.

Stretching

When you are already sore, stretching helps by easing muscle tension so the soreness becomes less intense. It also stops muscles from tensing up more and increasing the pain. Stretching after a workout reduces the amount of soreness you will feel later. If you do not hold stretches long enough, though, they won't be effective. A minimum of 20 seconds gives muscles the chance to release.

Medication and Supplements

Anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen can lessen your muscle pain. Relieving soreness with medication, however, doesn't mean your muscles have recovered from exercise. Working out causes tiny tears in your muscles that only rest can fix. Your muscles are sore because your body is healing. When your muscles feel pain-free, that usually means you are ready to work out again, but do not mistake a lack of pain from medication for true muscle recovery. Vitamin C and omega-3 supplements help your muscles repair faster, because they have natural anti-inflammatory properties.