How to reduce soreness after workout. Active Recovery Workouts: Easing Muscle Soreness and Boosting Performance
How do active recovery workouts reduce muscle soreness. What types of exercises are best for active recovery. When should you avoid active recovery workouts. How can you incorporate active recovery into your fitness routine.
Understanding Post-Exercise Muscle Soreness
Muscle soreness after a workout is a common experience for both seasoned athletes and casual exercisers. This discomfort is often a sign that your muscles are adapting to the stress of exercise, but it can be uncomfortable and impact your next training session. Understanding the causes of muscle soreness can help you manage it more effectively.
Types of Post-Exercise Muscle Soreness
There are two main types of muscle soreness that occur after exercise:
- Immediate muscle soreness: This occurs during or immediately after exercise and is typically caused by the buildup of metabolic waste products.
- Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS): This type of soreness develops 24-48 hours after exercise and is associated with microscopic muscle damage.
DOMS is particularly common when you try a new exercise or increase the intensity of your workouts. It’s a normal part of the muscle adaptation process, but it can be quite uncomfortable and may impact your ability to train effectively in subsequent sessions.
The Science Behind Muscle Soreness
Contrary to popular belief, muscle soreness is not caused by lactic acid buildup. While lactic acid does accumulate during intense exercise, it dissipates quickly and doesn’t contribute to the soreness felt hours or days later. Instead, DOMS is primarily caused by microscopic tears in muscle fibers, which trigger an inflammatory response as the body works to repair the damage.
The Benefits of Active Recovery Workouts
Active recovery workouts have gained popularity as an effective method to alleviate muscle soreness and improve overall recovery. But how exactly do these workouts benefit your body?
Enhancing Blood Flow and Nutrient Delivery
One of the primary benefits of active recovery is increased blood flow to the muscles. This enhanced circulation helps to:
- Remove metabolic waste products
- Deliver oxygen and nutrients to damaged tissues
- Reduce inflammation
- Accelerate the healing process
By engaging in light, low-intensity exercise, you stimulate blood flow without causing additional stress to the muscles, promoting faster recovery and reducing soreness.
Maintaining Flexibility and Range of Motion
Active recovery workouts often incorporate stretching and mobility exercises, which can help maintain or improve flexibility and range of motion. This is particularly important when muscles are sore and tight, as it can prevent stiffness and reduce the risk of injury in subsequent workouts.
Effective Active Recovery Workout Strategies
Incorporating active recovery into your fitness routine doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some effective strategies to ease muscle soreness and promote recovery:
Low-Intensity Cardiovascular Exercise
Light cardio activities are excellent for active recovery. These can include:
- Brisk walking
- Slow jogging
- Cycling at a leisurely pace
- Swimming or water aerobics
The key is to keep the intensity low, aiming for a heart rate between 30-60% of your maximum. This level of activity promotes blood flow without overtaxing your muscles.
Yoga and Stretching
Yoga and gentle stretching routines can be particularly beneficial for active recovery. These practices help to:
- Improve flexibility
- Reduce muscle tension
- Enhance body awareness
- Promote relaxation and stress relief
Yin yoga, which involves holding poses for extended periods, can be especially effective for targeting deep connective tissues and promoting recovery.
Self-Myofascial Release Techniques
Foam rolling and other self-myofascial release techniques have gained popularity as effective methods for reducing muscle soreness. These techniques involve applying pressure to specific muscle groups using tools like foam rollers, massage balls, or even your own hands. Benefits include:
- Improved blood flow to targeted areas
- Release of muscle knots and adhesions
- Increased range of motion
- Reduced muscle soreness and stiffness
When incorporating foam rolling into your recovery routine, start with light pressure and gradually increase as your muscles adapt. Focus on rolling slowly and avoid applying direct pressure to bones or joints.
Incorporating Active Recovery into Your Fitness Routine
To maximize the benefits of active recovery, it’s important to integrate it strategically into your overall fitness plan. Here are some tips for incorporating active recovery effectively:
Timing Your Active Recovery Sessions
Active recovery workouts can be beneficial on rest days or immediately following intense training sessions. Consider the following approaches:
- Post-workout cool-down: Spend 10-15 minutes doing light cardio or stretching after your main workout
- Dedicated recovery days: Use active recovery techniques on your rest days to promote healing and maintain mobility
- Between high-intensity sessions: If you’re following a split routine, use active recovery on days between challenging workouts for specific muscle groups
Tailoring Recovery to Your Needs
The most effective active recovery routine is one that addresses your specific needs and preferences. Experiment with different activities and techniques to find what works best for you. Factors to consider include:
- Your fitness level and goals
- The types of workouts you typically do
- Any recurring areas of soreness or tightness
- Activities you enjoy and are likely to stick with
Remember that the intensity of your active recovery workouts should be significantly lower than your regular training sessions. The goal is to promote recovery, not to add additional stress to your body.
When to Avoid Active Recovery
While active recovery can be highly beneficial, there are situations where rest or medical attention may be more appropriate. It’s important to distinguish between normal muscle soreness and potential injuries.
Signs That Indicate Rest or Medical Attention is Needed
Be cautious and consider seeking medical advice if you experience:
- Sharp, persistent pain that doesn’t improve with rest
- Swelling, bruising, or visible deformity in the affected area
- Pain that interferes with daily activities or sleep
- Symptoms of infection, such as fever or redness around the painful area
- Pain that worsens with movement or light activity
In these cases, active recovery may exacerbate the problem, and rest or professional treatment may be necessary.
Listening to Your Body
Developing body awareness is crucial for determining when active recovery is appropriate. Pay attention to how your body responds to different activities and intensities. If a particular movement or exercise causes pain beyond mild discomfort, it’s best to avoid it and consider alternative recovery methods.
Complementary Recovery Techniques
While active recovery can be highly effective, it’s not the only tool in your recovery arsenal. Combining active recovery with other techniques can enhance your overall recovery process.
Nutrition for Recovery
Proper nutrition plays a crucial role in muscle recovery and reducing soreness. Key nutritional strategies include:
- Consuming adequate protein to support muscle repair
- Staying hydrated to promote circulation and nutrient delivery
- Eating foods rich in antioxidants to combat inflammation
- Considering supplements like omega-3 fatty acids or curcumin, which may help reduce muscle soreness
Sleep and Rest
Quality sleep is essential for muscle recovery and overall health. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night, and consider the following tips to improve sleep quality:
- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule
- Create a relaxing bedtime routine
- Avoid screens and stimulating activities before bed
- Ensure your sleeping environment is cool, dark, and quiet
Stress Management
High levels of stress can impair recovery and exacerbate muscle soreness. Incorporate stress-reduction techniques such as:
- Meditation or mindfulness practices
- Deep breathing exercises
- Spending time in nature
- Engaging in hobbies or activities you enjoy
Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Recovery Strategy
To ensure your active recovery and overall recovery strategy is working effectively, it’s important to track your progress and make adjustments as needed.
Tracking Recovery Metrics
Consider monitoring the following metrics to gauge the effectiveness of your recovery:
- Perceived muscle soreness (using a scale of 1-10)
- Range of motion in key joints
- Resting heart rate and heart rate variability
- Sleep quality and duration
- Energy levels and mood
- Performance in subsequent workouts
Use a journal or fitness tracking app to record these metrics consistently. Over time, you’ll be able to identify patterns and determine which recovery strategies work best for you.
Adjusting Your Approach
Based on your tracking data and personal experience, be prepared to adjust your recovery strategy. This might involve:
- Trying different types of active recovery workouts
- Adjusting the frequency or duration of recovery sessions
- Incorporating new recovery techniques or tools
- Modifying your overall training program to allow for better recovery
Remember that recovery needs can change over time based on factors like training intensity, age, and overall health. Regularly reassess and adapt your approach to ensure optimal recovery and performance.
Active Recovery Workouts and How They Can Ease Muscle Soreness
Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors
In this Article
- Why You Get Sore After Exercise
- Why Active Recovery Workouts Help Ease Muscle Soreness
- Exercises for Active Recovery
- When Not to Use Active Recovery
- Other Ways to Ease Sore Muscles
Whether you’re a serious athlete or an occasional exerciser, you’ve probably felt the pain of muscle soreness after a hard workout. As long as you are just sore and not injured, you may feel better faster with an active recovery workout, vs. passive recovery (just resting your body).
Exercise can cause sore muscles.
Active recovery workouts don’t need to take up too much of your time. They also don’t need to be hard – they shouldn’t be – and may include low-intensity exercise, yoga, swimming, or foam rolling.
Muscles grow and get stronger when you work them hard enough to cause tiny tears in the muscle tissue. It’s a natural process, but it can still cause mild discomfort.
A different soreness happens when you try a new exercise or a new movement. It usually occurs hours or even a day or two later. Called delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS, this can involve actual damage to muscles. To avoid this type of pain, experts recommend that when you try an unfamiliar sport or activity, you cut the duration by one-third. DOMS can also happen when you perform a familiar activity but you go extra hard.
Experts once thought that DOMS was due to lactic acid buildup in muscles, but they now recognize that’s not actually true. While the body forms lactic acid when it calls on stored energy, that excess lactic acid disappears rapidly when the period of exertion ends. It doesn’t cause soreness that can persist days later.
When you have any type of muscle pain after exercising, you have two options: passive recovery or active recovery. Passive recovery is resting the body. This type of recovery is good for strains and other injuries. For other post-exercise aches and pains, though, experts recommend active recovery, which can be almost any type of light exercise.
Active recovery works because it increases blood flow to the muscles and joints. This improved blood supply takes away toxins and brings in fresh nutrients for healing.
Active recovery workouts should be moderate in intensity. Aim at a heart rate of 30% to 60% of your maximum. Studies show that recovery workouts are less effective when they are hard or vigorous.
There are many exercise options for active recovery. It’s smart to choose an activity that you like so your recovery will be as helpful to your body as your mind. Some active recovery workouts include:
Low-intensity exercise. It’s OK to use your regular form of exercise for an active recovery workout. Just remember to dial down the intensity. If you walk or jog, do it at a pace that makes it possible to carry on a conversation. A bike ride is another option. You can even do weight training if you decrease your weight, repetitions, or both.
Yoga. Yoga, and especially slow-paced disciplines like yin yoga, are great for recovery. Yoga can refresh you mentally and psychologically while aiding your physical recovery.
Foam rolling. Some people find relief from sore muscles by using a foam roller, which combines the benefits of exercise and massage. To try this method, place the roller between the floor and the sore area of the body. Slowly roll on it to put light pressure on the muscles.
Foam rolling can be uncomfortable, and beginners should use it in small doses while avoiding pressure on bones and joints.
Swimming and water exercise. Working out in water allows you to benefit from the pressure of the water on the body, which can be compared to the sensation of a light massage. This pressure improves circulation while minimizing stress on the joints.
In one study of runners, those who used swimming for recovery outperformed a passive recovery group on a run the following day.
Pain that exceeds normal soreness means that you may need rest or medical care. Besides taxing the muscles, exercise can put stress on bones, tendons, and cartilage. Pain in these areas is likely to be due to an injury. Active recovery strategies could make the injury worse.
See your doctor if you have any of these symptoms after exercise:
- Pain that is constant, sharp, or worsening
- Pain in the area of a previous injury or surgery
- A painful area that looks deformed, bruised, or swollen
- Pain that doesn’t improve with rest, icing, or anti-inflammatory medications
- Pain combined with fever, chills, nausea, or vomiting
- Pain that interferes with sleep
Rest: Taking a day off gives your body a chance to repair itself and replenishes your energy. Jennifer Rulon, a seven-time Ironman triathlete and triathlon coach, says the second day after an intense workout can be the toughest. So she suggests doing light exercise the day after a heavy workout, then taking off the next day.
Ice: Icing for 20 to 30 minutes can lessen blood flow to sore muscles, which often reduces swelling and pain. And remember: Just because you can’t see muscles swelling doesn’t mean they are not inflamed. Be sure to put a towel between the ice pack and your skin and stick to the time limit (20-30 minutes) to protect your skin.
Heat: If your muscles still ache after 48 hours, try applying some heat (carefully). It can stimulate blood flow to your muscles to ease tightness and help them feel better. Try a warm (not hot) towel or heating pad. But be careful. Take care and watch your body’s response. In some cases, heat can further inflame muscles. Follow manufacturer instructions to avoid skin burns, and avoid direct contact with any heating device.
Stretching: A gentle stretching routine can help break the cycle of tight sore muscles. Talk to your health care provider or a physical therapist if you’re unsure where to start, especially if you have any injuries.
Massage: It can relieve muscle tension, boost blood flow, and increase the range of motion in your joints. It’s also a great mood lifter. When your muscles are sore, a gentle massage is best. Light pressure may be better for recovery than a deep-tissue massage. Or try tender-point acupressure in which a massage therapist applies pressure and holds it directly on the tender areas.
Medication: You can try an anti-inflammatory medication. Over-the-counter versions can reduce swelling and relieve pain. Try aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen.
Compression garments: Wearing compression sleeves during or after a workout can help decrease muscle soreness afterward and help you recover for your next workout. Sleeves might go over your calves when you run, and over your arms when you lift weights. Your health care team can help find the right fit for you.
Nutrition: Make sure you get enough nutrients to feed your tired muscles and replenish your energy stores. A good balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrates is important. In general, protein helps with muscle repair and carbohydrates help replenish energy stores after aerobic exercise. Be sure to get enough water and electrolytes (essential minerals like sodium, potassium, and magnesium) too.
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23 Things to Know, From Tips for Relief to Preventi
Not all muscle soreness is the same. Acute muscle soreness is felt during or immediately after exercise. Delayed onset muscle soreness peaks 24 to 72 hours after exercise.
When it comes to muscle soreness, there are two types:
- acute muscle
soreness, also referred to as immediate muscle soreness - delayed onset
muscle soreness (DOMS)
This is often described as a burning pain. It’s caused by a buildup of metabolites with the muscle during high intensity exercise. This type of muscle soreness resolves quickly.
This is the pain and stiffness you feel the day after you exercise. It stems from microscopic tears in your muscle fibers and the surrounding connective tissues during exercise.
This usually happens after you use your muscles in a way they’re not used to, like with a new or more intense workout.
The saying “no pain, no gain” has some truth to it. Gradually increasing the intensity of your workouts may help minimize muscle soreness.
As uncomfortable as it may be, don’t let the soreness get you down! You’re taking care of yourself — the longer you keep at it, the easier it’ll become.
Muscle soreness improves as your body gets used to exercise. If you need to take something to help with the pain, pass on the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Why? Well, it’s unclear whether NSAIDs have any effect on muscle soreness, despite being anti-inflammatory. And even when taken in low doses, NSAIDs can increase your risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, heart attack, and stroke.
Newer research suggests that acetaminophen (Tylenol) may be helpful.
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Although more research is needed, some evidence suggests that you can get relief from muscle soreness by eating antioxidant-rich foods.
Watermelon, for instance, is rich in an amino acid called L-citrulline. Studies done in 2013 and 2017 suggest that this amino acid can reduce recovery heart rate and muscle soreness.
Other anti-inflammatory foods that have shown promise in treating muscle soreness are:
- cherry juice
- pineapple
- ginger
Curcumin is a compound found in turmeric. It’s high in antioxidants and has powerful anti-inflammatory effects, so it’s no surprise that it’s been shown to reduce the pain of delayed onset muscle soreness and speed up recovery after exercise.
Fish oil and other omega-3 fatty acids may offer similar benefits.
One 2017 study found that milk protein supplementation can help with muscle soreness and strength in exercise-induced muscle trauma.
Milk protein concentrate is a concentrated milk product that contains 40 to 90 percent milk protein. It’s used in protein-fortified foods and beverages, but can also be bought in powdered form at health food retailers.
Arnica has been used as a natural remedy for muscle soreness for years. It’s derived from the flower Arnica montana, whichis found in the mountains of Siberia and Europe.
Although more research is needed, one 2013 study found that topical creams and ointments containing arnica effectively relieved pain and inflammation brought on by intense eccentric exercise.
Applying heat immediately after exercising can reduce delayed onset muscle soreness. One 2013 study found that while both dry and moist heat helped with pain, moist heat was shown to offer even more pain reduction.
Excellent ways to enjoy moist heat therapy after exercise include:
- warm damp towels
- wet heating packs
- a warm
bath
Soaking in Epsom salts has been linked to reduced muscle pain and inflammation. The moist heat you get from sitting in a hot bath is an added bonus.
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Cold therapy is said to relieve pain in muscles and joints by reducing swelling and nerve activity. You can apply cold using an ice pack or bag of frozen vegetables, but soaking in a cold bath may be more helpful. (Just remember, never apply ice directly to skin!)
Foam rolling is basically a form of self-massage. Research has found that foam rolling can relieve delayed onset muscle soreness. It may also help with muscle fatigue and flexibility.
Foam rollers can be purchased wherever you buy exercise equipment.
To foam roll, you place the roller on the floor underneath the sore muscle and slowly roll your body over it. You can search online for videos on how to foam roll for different muscle groups.
Not only are massages relaxing, massage has also been found to alleviate DOMS and improve muscle performance. The results of one 2017 study suggests that massage is most effective when performed 48 hours after exercise.
Wearing a compression garment for 24 hours after exercise can reduce DOMS and speed up recovery of muscle function. Compression garments hold the muscles in place and increase blood flow for faster recovery.
You can get compression garments for most muscle groups. Types of compression garments include sleeves, socks, and leggings.
Don’t let muscle soreness stop you from exercising. Muscle soreness is a natural process that helps your body get used to the exercise. Once you induce this soreness, it won’t happen again unless you increase the intensity.
If the pain is severe, exercise at a lower intensity or switch to another muscle group for a day or two.
We often hear that stretching before and after a workout can help prevent injury and pain, but research actually suggests otherwise.
One 2011 study found that stretching had little to no effect on muscle soreness after exercise.
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A 2012 study found that static stretches may inhibit muscular performance. Static stretching involves stretching a muscle to the point of minimal discomfort and holding it for a period of time.
Instead, opt for dynamic stretching where you repeatedly move your muscles and joints. Walking lunges and arm circles are great places to start.
Dynamic stretching prepares your body by increasing your heart rate, improving blood flow, and improving your flexibility.
A cool down after a workout helps your breathing and heart rate return to normal.
It can also help keep blood flowing to the exercised muscles, which can aid the repair process and potentially improve delayed onset muscle soreness. Cool down by walking or riding a stationary bike for 5 or 10 minutes.
Muscle soreness happens to beginners and conditioned athletes. It’s a natural adaptive response to new activity or an increase in intensity or duration.
You may still feel the burn of acute muscle soreness from exercise, but DOMS will improve as time goes on and your body adapts to your workouts.
Being mindful of your body and workouts is the best way to prevent future soreness and get the most from exercise.
Prepare your body for exercise by getting in an adequate warmup and cool down every time. Learn proper form and stick to a routine that gradually increases in intensity and duration to lessen soreness and reduce your risk of injury.
Moderate doses of caffeine may cut your post-workout pain down by almost 50 percent, so go ahead and have a cup of coffee before your workout. Just remember to hydrate with water afterward. Staying hydrated can also help reduce muscle soreness.
DOMS usually doesn’t require medical treatment and should resolve within a few days. However, you should see your doctor if your pain lasts more than a week or keeps coming back, or if you experience extreme weakness, dizziness, or trouble breathing.
How to get rid of muscle pain after a workout – advice from a practicing trainer
You cannot completely get rid of muscle pain after a good workout. Unless you stop exercising.
But it is possible to make the pain less severe and pass faster. In this article, I will give some recommendations that work for me and my clients.
WHY MUSCLES HURT AFTER WORKOUT
Articles on medical websites talk about adenosine***ric acid and changes in blood pH. All this is very interesting, but incomprehensible.
Let’s keep it simple – on the example of Spider-Man. It will help you understand why muscles ache after intense physical activity, as well as why this is normal and inevitable. We need an episode from the second part, where the main character stops the train flying into the abyss. In general terms, the same thing happens with Peter Parker at this moment as with our muscles during and after exercise.
Four points are important to us.
:f09f95b8: In Movie | :f09f92aa: In training | We pick up the barbell and start lifting it. |
:f09f95b8: Movie | :f09f92aa: In training | |
Spider-Man keeps his web to the limit. He strains so hard that he has a suit is torn. Happy ending, the train stops, people are saved. | We lift the bar and apply maximum force. Muscles are stretched and begin to “crack” – microtrauma occurs at the level of muscle fibers. Happy end: we lifted the bar, rep completed. | |
:f09f95b8: Movie | :f09f92aa: In training | |
Spider-Man is exhausted and collapses. It seems that he will need to eat well and sleep in order to recover from this feat. | After training, the muscles hurt from microtraumas – they need high-quality recovery in order to “build up” the lost fibers. And new ones along with them. | |
:f09f95b8: Movie | :f09f92aa: In training | |
This was not in the movie, but you can guess: after the episode with the train stop, Spider-Man became 900 19 is stronger and more durable than before. | Muscles get stronger, more resilient and bigger every time they get micro-injuries, and then recover. | |
During training, the muscles experience a load, so microtrauma occurs – small tears in the fibers. Then they are restored: new fibers “grow” and a little more on top. Due to this, the muscles grow and become stronger.
And during recovery, the muscles hurt – like any injury, while it heals. Some get off with mild discomfort, others experience severe muscle pain, and still others cannot move at all. Sometimes it happens that the temperature rises – it depends on how the recovery of the body proceeds in a particular person.
HOW TO PREVENT MUSCLE PAIN AFTER WORKOUT
We have found that muscles hurt while they are recovering, which means that we need to help our body in this. It is unlikely that it will be possible to completely relieve muscle pain, but it can be alleviated. I will give you 4 recommendations.
In the first workouts, work 15-20 reps . The muscles are not yet ready for intense loads, and if they are overloaded, there will be more microtraumas, and the pain will be stronger. It is optimal to work with a weight with which you can do 15-20 repetitions: this way you load, but do not overload the muscles. And already in the next workouts, when the pain passes, go to the standard 8-12 repetitions.
Get enough sleep – at this time the body is recovering . Getting enough sleep is the best way to reduce muscle soreness after exercise. The faster the body recovers from exercise, the faster you get rid of pain. And sleep is the most natural way to recover.
It’s not just about taking a nap after a workout – you need to follow the rules of healthy sleep regularly: . One phase lasts 90-120 minutes.
Eat right so your muscles have the material to rebuild . To restore muscles after microtrauma, the body needs resources, and they are taken from food. The two main pillars of proper nutrition:
- Sufficient kilocalories.
- The correct ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates:
50% carbohydrates, 30% proteins, 20% fats.
Take supplements to perfect your recovery . In addition to proteins, fats and carbohydrates, the body needs a whole list of trace elements. In theory, you can get them with a diet that consists of regular store-bought products, but in practice, you are tormented to study and select them. It is easier to take dietary supplements pointwise, in which the necessary microelements are concentrated.
❗ Do not buy dietary supplements based on advice from articles on the Internet. They need to be selected specifically for your body. Make an appointment with a nutritionist, take tests – and you will be given a personal prescription.
I advise you to take a health check-up at least once a year, because the needs for trace elements change: today you lack omega-3, and in a year everything is fine with omega-3, but you do not have enough vitamin D3.
WHAT TO DO IF THE MUSCLES ARE ALREADY aching
The advice above is correct, but when getting up from the couch right now is akin to a feat, there is no time for healthy sleep and BJU. Here’s what you can do to reduce muscle soreness after a workout if your arms are stiff and your legs refuse to walk right now.
Move more . The tenth step on aching legs no longer brings as much suffering as the first. And on the hundredth step, you don’t even notice the pain. So the best way to relieve pain is to endure it.
Chest pain . Exercise with an emphasis on stretching the pectoral muscles. Do simple physical exercises: swings to the sides and up and down, stretch. The first repetitions should be calm and accurate (but it won’t work out differently, it hurts), then you need to gradually increase the amplitude and sharpness of movements – as a result, 5-10 minutes is enough to feel relatively comfortable.
Arms hurt – biceps and triceps . Do the same: first, just bend and unbend your arms, then stretch them – and you will be able to use cutlery normally at breakfast.
Legs hurt . Just get up and go somewhere.
A selection of recovery exercises is available in the Spirit app. Woke up in the morning with muscle pain – open a set of exercises, complete it in 10-15 minutes – and that’s it, the day is saved.
Don’t stay too long during the day: get up often to loosen up your muscles. If you take long breaks and sit still, then the muscles will “stagnate” and hurt with every movement, like for the first time. That is why muscles hurt the most in the morning – they stagnate after several hours of sleep.
Take anti-inflammatories . Muscle microtrauma as a result of training leads to inflammation, which is why they hurt. Relieve inflammation appropriate means – for example, “Nimesil” or its analogues. These drugs are sold in a pharmacy without a prescription, you just have to crawl to it 🙂 Do not forget to carefully study the contraindications and side effects before use.
Warm up well in the sauna . High temperatures help relieve muscle pain, but only for a moment. As soon as the body cools down to normal temperature, the pain will return. This advice can be applied, but don’t count on it too much.
HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE “NORMAL” MUSCLE PAIN FROM INJURY
It happens that beginners write off an injury as normal post-workout pain and make themselves feel worse. Or vice versa: there is no injury, but it hurts as if there is. Therefore, you need to figure out which muscle pain is normal, and which one is worth worrying about.
Normal muscle pain is present but does not feel like something serious. It is even pleasant to some extent – you experience a kind of pleasure when you stretch through this pain.
Such pain complicates movement but does not limit it. Let’s say if your chest muscles hurt after a workout, then spreading your arms to the sides will be hard, but you can do it.
In general, normal muscle pain is like pulling at maximum speed.
If you have such pain, then everything is fine, it will pass.
Anxious muscle pain . But other manifestations may be the result of serious injuries: sprain or rupture of ligaments, muscle damage: ↓
hurts even when not moving;
the pain is so severe that it is impossible to move through it;
pain in a specific place. During normal recovery, the entire muscle group hurts, and if one place hurts, it looks like an injury;
the pain does not go away for a long time. Usually the peak of pain occurs on the second or third day, and on the fourth or fifth it gradually subsides. If the pain does not subside for a week – it’s time to deal with it.
Banal but correct advice: if something is wrong, go to a specialist. It is better to know that everything is fine than to suffer the consequences later.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO EXERCISE WHEN YOUR MUSCLES ARE aching
If your muscles hurt because of a sports injury, then you should not train, so as not to aggravate it. If we are talking about a suspected injury, it is also better to suspend training until the reasons are clarified.
If, after a previous workout, the muscles hurt so much that it is very difficult to move, or even the temperature rises, do not torment the body, it is better to let it recover calmly.
Otherwise, you can train with muscle pain. If necessary, you can adjust the training: reduce the intensity, reduce the weight, or work out the muscle group that does not hurt.
If you are from Moscow, come to Spirit. for restorative group workouts with a roll or for relaxing yoga. In the group, the participants work together, and the coach sets the tone for the entire program.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Muscle pain after exercise is a natural process. During the load, microtraumas occur, and while they heal, the muscles hurt.
- The pain will pass faster and will not be as severe if you sleep enough, eat right, and the body receives trace elements in the right amount.
- If you have just started exercising or have come to training after a break, work with weights for 15-20 reps. The muscles are not yet ready for maximum loads, and if you take large weights, there will be more microtraumas, and the pain will be stronger.
- If you’re just starting out or coming to a workout after a break, work with weights for 15-20 reps. The muscles are not yet ready for maximum loads, and if you take large weights, there will be more microtraumas, and the pain will be stronger.
- With muscle pain, it is important to move. At first it will be unpleasant, but very soon the pain will become much weaker. This is better than letting the muscles “stagnate” first, and then howling with each movement.
- You can train with muscle pain. But whether it is necessary – depends on you. If you don’t need it, then you don’t have to train 🙂
How to get rid of muscle pain after a workout – advice from a practicing trainer
You can’t completely get rid of muscle pain after a good workout. Unless you stop exercising.
But it is possible to make the pain less severe and pass faster. In this article, I will give some recommendations that work for me and my clients.
WHY MUSCLES HURT AFTER WORKOUT
Articles on medical websites talk about adenosine***ric acid and changes in blood pH. All this is very interesting, but incomprehensible.
Let’s keep it simple – on the example of Spider-Man. It will help you understand why muscles ache after intense physical activity, as well as why this is normal and inevitable. We need an episode from the second part, where the main character stops the train flying into the abyss. In general terms, the same thing happens with Peter Parker at this moment as with our muscles during and after exercise.
Four things are important to us.
:f09f95b8: In the movie 22 | |
Spiderman releases a web to stop the train. | We pick up the barbell and start lifting it. |
:f09f95b8: Movie | :f09f92aa: In training |
Spider-Man keeps his web to the limit. He strains so hard that his suit is torn. Happy ending, the train stops, people are saved. | We lift the bar and apply maximum force. Muscles are stretched and begin to “crack” – microtrauma occurs at the level of muscle fibers. Happy end: we lifted the bar, rep completed. |
0017 :f09f92aa: In training | |
Spiderman is exhausted and collapses. It seems that he will need to eat well and sleep in order to recover from this feat. | Muscles ache from microtraumas after training – they need quality recovery to build up lost fibers. And new ones along with them. |
:f09f95b8: Movie | :f09f92aa: In training |
This was not in the movie, but you can guess: after the episode with the train stopping, Spider-Man became stronger and more resilient than than he was before. | Muscles get stronger, more resilient and bigger every time they get micro-injuries, and then recover. |
Then they are restored: new fibers “grow” and a little more on top. Due to this, the muscles grow and become stronger.
And during recovery, the muscles hurt – like any injury, while it heals. Some get off with mild discomfort, others experience severe muscle pain, and still others cannot move at all. Sometimes it happens that the temperature rises – it depends on how the recovery of the body proceeds in a particular person.
HOW TO PREVENT MUSCLE PAIN AFTER WORKOUT
We have found that muscles hurt while they are recovering, which means that we need to help our body in this. It is unlikely that it will be possible to completely relieve muscle pain, but it can be alleviated. I will give you 4 recommendations.
In the first workouts, work 15-20 reps . The muscles are not yet ready for intense loads, and if they are overloaded, there will be more microtraumas, and the pain will be stronger. It is optimal to work with a weight with which you can do 15-20 repetitions: this way you load, but do not overload the muscles. And already in the next workouts, when the pain passes, go to the standard 8-12 repetitions.
Get enough sleep – at this time the body is recovering . Getting enough sleep is the best way to reduce muscle soreness after exercise. The faster the body recovers from exercise, the faster you get rid of pain. And sleep is the most natural way to recover.
It’s not just about taking a nap after a workout – you need to follow the rules of healthy sleep regularly: . One phase lasts 90-120 minutes.
Eat right so your muscles have the material to rebuild . To restore muscles after microtrauma, the body needs resources, and they are taken from food. The two main pillars of proper nutrition:
- Sufficient kilocalories.
- The correct ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates:
50% carbohydrates, 30% proteins, 20% fats.
Take supplements to perfect your recovery . In addition to proteins, fats and carbohydrates, the body needs a whole list of trace elements. In theory, you can get them with a diet that consists of regular store-bought products, but in practice, you are tormented to study and select them. It is easier to take dietary supplements pointwise, in which the necessary microelements are concentrated.
❗ Do not buy dietary supplements based on advice from articles on the Internet. They need to be selected specifically for your body. Make an appointment with a nutritionist, take tests – and you will be given a personal prescription.
I advise you to take a health check-up at least once a year, because the needs for trace elements change: today you lack omega-3, and in a year everything is fine with omega-3, but you do not have enough vitamin D3.
WHAT TO DO IF THE MUSCLES ARE ALREADY aching
The advice above is correct, but when getting up from the couch right now is akin to a feat, there is no time for healthy sleep and BJU. Here’s what you can do to reduce muscle soreness after a workout if your arms are stiff and your legs refuse to walk right now.
Move more . The tenth step on aching legs no longer brings as much suffering as the first. And on the hundredth step, you don’t even notice the pain. So the best way to relieve pain is to endure it.
Chest pain . Exercise with an emphasis on stretching the pectoral muscles. Do simple physical exercises: swings to the sides and up and down, stretch. The first repetitions should be calm and accurate (but it won’t work out differently, it hurts), then you need to gradually increase the amplitude and sharpness of movements – as a result, 5-10 minutes is enough to feel relatively comfortable.
Arms hurt – biceps and triceps . Do the same: first, just bend and unbend your arms, then stretch them – and you will be able to use cutlery normally at breakfast.
Legs hurt . Just get up and go somewhere.
A selection of recovery exercises is available in the Spirit app. Woke up in the morning with muscle pain – open a set of exercises, complete it in 10-15 minutes – and that’s it, the day is saved.
Don’t stay too long during the day: get up often to loosen up your muscles. If you take long breaks and sit still, then the muscles will “stagnate” and hurt with every movement, like for the first time. That is why muscles hurt the most in the morning – they stagnate after several hours of sleep.
Take anti-inflammatories . Muscle microtrauma as a result of training leads to inflammation, which is why they hurt. Relieve inflammation appropriate means – for example, “Nimesil” or its analogues. These drugs are sold in a pharmacy without a prescription, you just have to crawl to it 🙂 Do not forget to carefully study the contraindications and side effects before use.
Warm up well in the sauna . High temperatures help relieve muscle pain, but only for a moment. As soon as the body cools down to normal temperature, the pain will return. This advice can be applied, but don’t count on it too much.
HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE “NORMAL” MUSCLE PAIN FROM INJURY
It happens that beginners write off an injury as normal post-workout pain and make themselves feel worse. Or vice versa: there is no injury, but it hurts as if there is. Therefore, you need to figure out which muscle pain is normal, and which one is worth worrying about.
Normal muscle pain is present but does not feel like something serious. It is even pleasant to some extent – you experience a kind of pleasure when you stretch through this pain.
Such pain complicates movement but does not limit it. Let’s say if your chest muscles hurt after a workout, then spreading your arms to the sides will be hard, but you can do it.
In general, normal muscle pain is like pulling at maximum speed.
If you have such pain, then everything is fine, it will pass.
Anxious muscle pain . But other manifestations may be the result of serious injuries: sprain or rupture of ligaments, muscle damage: ↓
hurts even when not moving;
the pain is so severe that it is impossible to move through it;
pain in a specific place. During normal recovery, the entire muscle group hurts, and if one place hurts, it looks like an injury;
the pain does not go away for a long time. Usually the peak of pain occurs on the second or third day, and on the fourth or fifth it gradually subsides. If the pain does not subside for a week – it’s time to deal with it.
Banal but correct advice: if something is wrong, go to a specialist. It is better to know that everything is fine than to suffer the consequences later.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO EXERCISE WHEN YOUR MUSCLES ARE aching
If your muscles hurt because of a sports injury, then you should not train, so as not to aggravate it. If we are talking about a suspected injury, it is also better to suspend training until the reasons are clarified.
If, after a previous workout, the muscles hurt so much that it is very difficult to move, or even the temperature rises, do not torment the body, it is better to let it recover calmly.
Otherwise, you can train with muscle pain. If necessary, you can adjust the training: reduce the intensity, reduce the weight, or work out the muscle group that does not hurt.
If you are from Moscow, come to Spirit. for restorative group workouts with a roll or for relaxing yoga. In the group, the participants work together, and the coach sets the tone for the entire program.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Muscle pain after exercise is a natural process. During the load, microtraumas occur, and while they heal, the muscles hurt.
- The pain will pass faster and will not be as severe if you sleep enough, eat right, and the body receives trace elements in the right amount.
- If you have just started exercising or have come to training after a break, work with weights for 15-20 reps. The muscles are not yet ready for maximum loads, and if you take large weights, there will be more microtraumas, and the pain will be stronger.
- If you’re just starting out or coming to a workout after a break, work with weights for 15-20 reps. The muscles are not yet ready for maximum loads, and if you take large weights, there will be more microtraumas, and the pain will be stronger.
- With muscle pain, it is important to move. At first it will be unpleasant, but very soon the pain will become much weaker.