But how are those extremely fit people at the gym working
out every day? Why is your health nut friend not walking hunched over with a
limp after his run on the treadmill? It could be one of two things: either
they’ve gotten over the hump of soreness or they know exactly how to prevent
and relieve it.
When we work harder than we’re used to or starting up new
activities with new muscle groups we end up getting sore. This soreness is
caused by micro-tears in the muscle fibers. These tears are also part of the
reason why our muscles get bigger after working out. It’s at this point that
they are allowed to heal and adjust. Eventually, if you continue working out
regularly and doing similar exercises, you’ll get used to the movements and
delayed onset soreness will cease to be a problem until you push yourself to
the next level or change your routine.
How Do We Get Relief?
Getting relief from next day soreness is fairly easy. If
you’re sore the next day it’s best to simply wrap a bag of ice in a towel and
press it on the painful area. This will give you some relief for a while unlike
heat, which will just relieve the pain while the heat is contacting the area.
You can also take some anti-inflammatory medication, such as
Ibuprofen, from time to time to relieve pain. While this works well
infrequently, taking them too often can prevent your muscles from repairing
themselves correctly over time.
How Do We Prevent It?
As they say, prevention is the best medicine. Luckily
preventing, or preemptively reducing, muscle soreness is extremely easy.
If you’re hopping on a treadmill for a run, walk first. If
you’re doing some heavy lat pulldowns, do some lighter reps first. All you need
to do is warn your muscles that you’re about to push them. Once your body is
alerted to it you can work out, not get as sore, and reduce your risk of
injury.
This one goes without saying but water is a fantastic
lubricant for muscles. It is also vital for muscle repairing and growth. Just
like putting WD-40 on a squeaky hinge, giving your muscles water will
significantly reduce soreness and injuries.
Protein is necessary for building muscle and expelling
energy so it makes sense that you would need it in order to make quick
muscle repairs immediately after a workout. Making sure that you have the
protein available to develop your muscles is also vital if you’re using
supplements like Lose andSnooze weight loss.
If you make sure to use these strategies, you will be able
to avoid a lot of the pain and tightness associated with working out. If you
reduce those then you will be able to stay more motivated for a fitter, leaner
you!