Recover from Workout Soreness
Feeling pain or soreness after a strenuous workout is usually enough to deter people from another workout session. Muscle soreness that happens 24 to 48 hours after a workout is called "delayed onset muscle soreness" (DOMS). It happens because while working out, small tears form in the muscles, which cause damage to muscle fibers. When the muscles are torn then there is inflammation, and experts believe that it is the combination of the tears and inflammation that causes soreness. This, however, is not a bad thing. As the muscles heal they are strengthened, which causes the muscles to become larger and stronger. Recovering from workout soreness is facilitated by implementing a few post-workout strategies. Here's how to recover from workout soreness.
Contents
Steps
- Workout every other day.
- By working out your muscles every other day, you're giving them a chance to recover. Strength workouts daily will just continue to fatigue your muscles without any of the benefits that come from allowing muscles to heal. Either workout every other day, or do strength exercises on 1 day and aerobic exercise the next. Staggering your workouts like that will help you recover faster.
- Eat a high-protein snack.
- Eating a snack that is high in lean protein after a workout will help give your muscles the fuel they need to recover more quickly. Egg whites, lean chicken or turkey and low-fat or skimmed milk are all high protein choices that are low in fat. Better yet, grab an ounce of raw nuts or add some beans to your salad.
- Include a proper cool down in your workout.
- Taking 10 minutes at the end of your workout to cool down will help your muscles recover faster. A cool down should include some walking or slow jogging, plus plenty of stretching to relax your muscles.
- Apply heat pads.
- Heated wraps and pads have proven effective in reducing the pain from workout soreness, especially if it is localized. Heat wraps won't help you much if every muscle is aching. Heat has been proven to reduce inflammation and reduce the soreness.
- Take acetaminophen or another form of anti-inflammatory medication. Taking an anti-inflammatory medicine as prescribed can aid in reducing muscle soreness. If using an over the counter product, be sure to follow the dosing guidelines.
- Drink cherry juice.
- A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reported that drinking cherry juice before and after a workout could reduce muscle soreness. Cherries have long been rumored to have beneficial effects on muscles, but this study was the first of its kind.
- Don't overdo it.
- The best way to avoid intense muscle soreness after a workout is to not overdo the workout. Listen to your body; if you begin to feel soreness and muscle fatigue, then stop. The more you push your muscles, the more they will be sore and the greater the risk of causing real damage to your muscles.
- Take a hot water bath.
Tips
- Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program to make sure that you don't have any health issues that might be exacerbated by strenuous exercise.
- Drink watermelon juice before you exercise. A study has shown that athletes experienced less muscle soreness after exercising when they drank two cups of watermelon juice an hour before working out .
Warnings
- In order to prevent injury while working out, make sure that you're doing the exercises properly. If in doubt, ask for help from a fitness professional.
- Always listen to your body. Stop exercising if you feel pain or severe muscle fatigue otherwise you could cause serious damage to your muscles.
