How to Help Sore Muscles with 12 Magic Cures

Warm-up

Before exercising you should always warm your muscles and raise your heart-rate. This can be achieved with a light jog or quick, low-intensity cardiovascular routine. This will get your body ready for your workout, and should be done prior to stretching.

Stretch

You should always stretch pre and post workout to decrease the possibility of injury as well as muscle soreness. A proper, full-body stretching routing carried out before and after you exercise will help to reduce the soreness felt 24-48 hours after (as a result of DOMS).

Rest

It is a known fact that muscles grow and recover during periods of rest. When people workout, the break down and tear muscle fibers, it is only when that individual rests does the body begin it’s natural regenerative process and rebuild the broken down muscles. This is why resting is so important. Another importing thing to remember if your exercise routine is extremely vigorous is to allow rest days between workouts through the week to give your body adequate time to recover. You could, for example, exercise for two days then rest for one. If, after resting, you continue your workout and find that you are still in a bit of pain, then you may wish to ease up on the intensity until you feel ready to increase it once again.

Practice Correct Form

Ensuring that you carry out your exercises correctly when working out will ensure that you do not add unwanted strain upon the muscle group you are training, therefore limiting the amount of soreness you will feel post workout.

Hydrate and Eat

Staying hydrated throughout your workout is very important and can also help reduce muscle inflammation and soreness. After you have exercised, you also need to refuel with the right food. Protein is the essential nutrient in building muscle so should be consumed in liberal amounts.

Move Your Muscles

When learning how to relieve sore muscles, one may assume that resting them is the best option. Whilst rest is important, it is equally as important to move around (even slowly) to get the blood flowing. Remaining stagnant for too long can increase the amount of DOMS you experience.

Have a Bath

Soaking in hot water can help reduce muscle soreness and inflammation, as well as relax the mind. Adding Epsom salts to a warm bath adds an extra muscle-relaxing quality as these salts contain magnesium, a muscle relaxant. Alternating between hot and cold water soaking (hot bath to ice bath) can also be more beneficial in muscle recovery, working to open blood vessels and increase recovery time. Applying heat directly to your sore muscles, via a warmed cloth or heated pad, can also help with recovery by methods of heat therapy.

Nutrients to Consume

• Omega-3, found naturally in fish, nuts and spinach, can help to reduce inflammation and soreness following a vigorous workout routine.

• Tart cherries are also believed to help reduce muscle soreness, and are also packed full of healthy anti-oxidants.

• Pineapples contain an enzyme called ‘bromelain’ which has great anti-inflammatory benefits which can help reduce DOMS.

If you find it difficult to fit all of these beneficial aspects into your diet, then supplementation is an option. You can buy omega-3 and bromelian supplements, as well as quality protein powders to further benefit your recovery.

Self-Massage

When ascertaining how to relieve sore muscles, self-massage is a cheap, easy and effective option. The best way to do this is with a foam roller, which utilizes a method of focused pressure massage, helping to reduce damage to the muscles connective tissue. Self-massage also means that you can control the level of pressure, and you can also stop immediately if you feel too much pain.

Coffee

Caffeine can work to block a chemical in the body named adenosine, which is usually released in response to injury. By doing this, caffeine can help to reduce the amount of soreness felt within one’s muscles. The recommended amount is equal to around two cups of coffee, just be sure not to consume too much caffeine as this is known to have negative effects.

Take Creatine

Creatine is an amino acid created within the body, which helps to deliver energy to muscle cells and the cells of the body. Whilst the body does produce creatine naturally, it can also be purchased and consumed in supplemental form. Some argue that creatine isn't needed due to the fact it is created naturally, whereas others would state that the more of this essential amino acid you consume the better.

Avoid Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medication

Things like ibuprofen can help to reduce muscle inflammation and soreness, which could lead one to assume that they would be beneficial when trying to learn how to relieve sore muscles. This is not the case. Such medications reduce the production of prostaglandins within the body, which are lipid compounds known to help with the healing of muscles. If you want immediate relief via medication, opt for something like Tylenol, which will not inhibit the recovery process of your muscles, though the methods listed above may prove more beneficial.