The pleasant feeling after a workout can fade into the background if you are haunted by unpleasant muscle soreness. In this article, we are talking about the most effective methods how to ease post-workout muscle pain.
Muscle pain often occurs when you do a new exercise or if you just return to training after a long break. The main cause of pain is a microtrauma that occurs due to muscle overload. The painful sensations are caused by the healing process.
The best way to avoid unpleasant consequences is to practice wisely. You should not give the muscles maximum load from the first workout. You need to gradually build up the pace, adjusting the duration and intensity. But how can you quickly get rid of the painful sensations if they still overtake you?
Coffee and cherry juice
Taking caffeine one hour before exercise can help reduce muscle soreness after the exercise. However, this option is not sure to be suitable for coffee lovers. After a hard workout, tart cherry juice is best: it contains the right antioxidants to reduce inflammation and muscle soreness after exercise.
Massage
Massage can help reduce muscle pain. It allows the blood to circulate throughout the body and ensures the flow of nutrients to the desired areas. Massage procedures help to relax muscles, saturate them with oxygen and accelerate the healing of microtraumas. This procedure helps to quickly achieve the good athletic shape and maintain it for a long time.
Cool down after Workout
Never end your training session on the hardest note. Stretching and cardio help get the so-called second wind so that after the workout you can easily continue to do household chores, without discomfort and pain. Take 5 minutes to stretch and 5 minutes to jog at an easy pace.
Warm shower
Many experts recommend a contrast shower, but it can only hurt the muscles more. After exercising, you need to relax and warm them up to ensure blood flow. You can add sea salt to the bath and lie down for 10-15 minutes. The beneficial components of salt produce the curing effect on inflammation and promote quick recovery after heavy physical exertion.
Correct diet
Foods high in salt and sugar can cause swelling and muscle pain. But this does not mean that it is necessary to completely abandon these additives. Diet is important: the more foods with vitamins A, C and E you consume, the better your body will tolerate physical activity and recover faster.
Healthy foods include fish, eggs, cottage cheese, starchy vegetables, and berries.
Sleep
Do you think this is the easiest way? Not at all! Never go to bed immediately after exercising. The body should return to its proper conditions (two hours are enough). Know when to stop: 8 hours of continuous comfortable sleep – and you are full of strength and energy again.
Physical activity
To tone the muscles the day after training and relieve discomfort, force the body to work again. Running or exercising lightly is perfect. This will help relax the muscles and trigger a quick release of toxins from the body.
Give up NSAIDs
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should be given up (e.g., ibuprofen or diclofenac). Yes, they can quickly relieve pain, but they also slow down muscle recovery. This will only make the situation worse rather than help you.
