A vigorous fitness routine sometimes comes at a price – muscle soreness. Here are some pre- and post-workout muscle treatments to ease the pain and speed recovery following a tough workout.
A vigorous fitness routine sometimes comes at a price – muscle soreness. Here are some pre- and post-workout muscle treatments to ease the pain and speed recovery following a tough workout.
During Your Workout
#1. Stretch it out
Before your workout, an extended warm-up and stretch routine will fully prepare your body for exercise and reduce the effects of heavy exercise. Take the time to perform gentle dynamic stretches before your fitness routine and follow up with static stretches. Swinging your legs and gentle walking lunges are two examples of dynamic stretches.
#2. Warm up before weight training
Many people jump straight to the weight rack when they get to the gym, but loading your muscles without adequate preparation not only increases your chances of getting severe pain but also puts you at risk for a pulling a tendon, ligament or muscle during your workout. Doing the cardio portion first really warms up your muscles. If you’re doing a weights-only workout, add a heart-pumping element to your warm up, such as jumping jacks or jump rope, to prepare your muscles for hard work.
#3. Hydrate
Hydration is important before and throughout your workout to prevent cramping and decrease inflammation (and muscle soreness) after exercise.
#4. Work out with correct form
Sometimes, under the cosh you tend to take the charge in your own hands. Always check the work out form under a trainer’s guidance.
After Your Workout
#1. Heat up later in the day
A few hours after an intense fitness session, apply a heating pad or other heat source. Muscle tightness is a cause of increased pain for many people, and stimulating the blood flow and loosening up sore muscles with heat can help speed up the healing process.
#2. Jump in an ice bath
Cold baths reduce muscle soreness particularly when compared to resting or no intervention after a workout. If you have completed your rigourous workout, prefer an ice bath to cool you down!
The Day After
#1. Use your sore muscles
The day after your workout, use the same muscles in a non-resistant way to avoid soreness. For example, if you have slightly sore muscles, take a bike ride the following day.
#2. Ice during recovery
Though an ice bath may help stave off muscle soreness immediately after a workout, applying ice topically will help ease the soreness that sets in the next day.
#3. Indulge in some self-massage
Massage is a great treatment for sore muscles. Self-massage may be a better sore muscle treatment, so you can control the pressure.
