How do active recovery workouts help reduce muscle soreness after exercise. What are the best exercises for active recovery. When should you avoid active recovery workouts. What other methods can ease sore muscles.

Understanding Post-Exercise Muscle Soreness

Muscle soreness after a workout is a common experience for both seasoned athletes and casual exercisers. This discomfort typically stems from two primary sources: immediate soreness and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

Immediate soreness occurs during or shortly after exercise and is often a result of the body’s natural response to physical exertion. On the other hand, DOMS typically manifests 24 to 48 hours post-exercise and is associated with more intense or unfamiliar physical activities.

Why does DOMS occur? Contrary to popular belief, it’s not due to lactic acid buildup. Instead, DOMS is primarily caused by microscopic tears in muscle fibers that occur during strenuous or novel exercises. These tiny tears are part of the muscle-building process but can lead to temporary discomfort and stiffness.

The Power of Active Recovery in Alleviating Muscle Soreness

When faced with post-exercise soreness, many individuals instinctively opt for complete rest. However, research suggests that active recovery can be more beneficial in easing muscle discomfort and promoting faster healing.

Active recovery involves engaging in low-intensity exercises or activities that promote blood flow to the affected muscles. This increased circulation helps flush out metabolic waste products and delivers oxygen and nutrients to the sore areas, accelerating the recovery process.

How effective is active recovery compared to passive rest? Studies have shown that individuals who engage in active recovery often experience reduced muscle soreness and improved performance in subsequent workouts compared to those who choose complete rest.

Optimal Exercises for Active Recovery

The key to effective active recovery lies in choosing exercises that are gentle enough to avoid further muscle strain while still promoting blood flow. Here are some recommended activities:

• Low-intensity cardio (e.g., light jogging, brisk walking, or easy cycling)
• Swimming or water aerobics
• Yoga or gentle stretching
• Light resistance training with reduced weights and repetitions
• Foam rolling or self-massage techniques

What intensity should you aim for during active recovery? Experts suggest maintaining a heart rate between 30% to 60% of your maximum during these sessions. This moderate intensity ensures that you’re promoting blood flow without overtaxing your already fatigued muscles.

The Benefits of Swimming for Active Recovery

Among the various active recovery options, swimming stands out as particularly effective. The buoyancy of water reduces stress on joints while providing gentle resistance, making it an ideal low-impact exercise for recovery.

How does swimming compare to other forms of active recovery? A study focusing on runners found that those who used swimming as a recovery method performed better in subsequent runs compared to those who opted for passive recovery. This suggests that the unique properties of water exercise may offer enhanced benefits for muscle recovery.

When to Avoid Active Recovery

While active recovery is generally beneficial, there are situations where rest might be more appropriate. It’s crucial to distinguish between normal post-exercise soreness and potential injuries.

When should you opt for rest instead of active recovery? Consider the following scenarios:

• Sharp, persistent pain that worsens with movement
• Visible swelling or bruising in the affected area
• Pain that doesn’t improve with rest, ice, or over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications
• Discomfort accompanied by fever, chills, or nausea
• Pain that interferes with sleep or daily activities

In these cases, it’s advisable to consult a healthcare professional to rule out potential injuries before resuming any form of exercise, including active recovery.

Alternative Methods for Easing Muscle Soreness

While active recovery is highly effective, it’s not the only method for alleviating post-exercise muscle soreness. Incorporating a variety of recovery techniques can help optimize your body’s healing process.

The Role of Nutrition in Muscle Recovery

Proper nutrition plays a crucial role in muscle recovery and soreness reduction. Consuming a balanced meal or snack containing both protein and carbohydrates within 30 minutes after exercise can help jumpstart the recovery process.

Which nutrients are particularly important for muscle recovery? Protein provides the building blocks necessary for muscle repair, while carbohydrates help replenish glycogen stores depleted during exercise. Additionally, foods rich in antioxidants, such as berries and leafy greens, may help reduce exercise-induced inflammation.

Hydration and Its Impact on Muscle Soreness

Proper hydration is often overlooked but is crucial for effective recovery. Dehydration can exacerbate muscle soreness and impair the body’s ability to flush out metabolic waste products.

How much water should you drink post-exercise? While individual needs vary, a general guideline is to consume 16-24 ounces of water for every pound of body weight lost during exercise. Electrolyte-rich beverages can be particularly beneficial for intense or prolonged workouts.

The Science Behind Foam Rolling for Recovery

Foam rolling, a form of self-myofascial release, has gained popularity as a recovery tool in recent years. This technique involves using a foam cylinder to apply pressure to specific muscle groups, potentially helping to alleviate soreness and improve flexibility.

How does foam rolling work to reduce muscle soreness? The pressure applied during foam rolling is thought to increase blood flow to the targeted areas, helping to reduce inflammation and promote faster healing. Additionally, foam rolling may help break up adhesions in the fascia, the connective tissue surrounding muscles, potentially improving overall muscle function.

While research on foam rolling is still evolving, many athletes and fitness enthusiasts report subjective improvements in muscle soreness and recovery when incorporating this technique into their routines.

The Importance of Sleep in Muscle Recovery

Quality sleep is a crucial yet often underappreciated aspect of muscle recovery. During sleep, the body releases growth hormone, which plays a vital role in muscle repair and growth.

How much sleep is optimal for muscle recovery? While individual needs vary, most adults should aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. Athletes and those engaging in intense physical training may benefit from even more sleep to support their recovery needs.

To optimize sleep for muscle recovery, consider the following strategies:

• Maintain a consistent sleep schedule
• Create a cool, dark, and quiet sleep environment
• Limit exposure to blue light from electronic devices before bedtime
• Avoid caffeine and heavy meals close to bedtime
• Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or meditation

Customizing Your Recovery Strategy

While general guidelines for recovery are helpful, it’s important to remember that each individual’s body responds differently to exercise and recovery methods. What works best for one person may not be as effective for another.

How can you determine the most effective recovery strategy for your needs? Consider the following approaches:

1. Keep a recovery journal: Track your workouts, recovery methods, and how you feel in the days following exercise. This can help you identify patterns and determine which strategies work best for you.
2. Experiment with different techniques: Try various active recovery exercises, nutrition strategies, and recovery tools to find what feels most effective for your body.
3. Listen to your body: Pay attention to how you feel during and after workouts. If you’re consistently experiencing excessive soreness or fatigue, it may be a sign that you need to adjust your training intensity or recovery methods.
4. Consult with professionals: Consider working with a certified fitness trainer or sports nutritionist who can provide personalized guidance based on your specific needs and goals.

By taking a thoughtful, individualized approach to recovery, you can optimize your body’s ability to bounce back from workouts, reduce the risk of injury, and improve overall athletic performance.

The Role of Mental Recovery in Physical Performance

While much of the focus on recovery tends to be on physical aspects, mental recovery is equally important for overall performance and well-being. The psychological stress of intense training or competition can be just as taxing as the physical demands.

How does mental fatigue impact physical performance? Research has shown that mental fatigue can lead to decreased physical performance, even when the body is physically capable. This highlights the importance of incorporating mental recovery strategies into your overall routine.

Consider the following techniques for mental recovery:

• Mindfulness meditation: Regular meditation practice can help reduce stress and improve focus.
• Visualization: Mentally rehearsing successful performances can boost confidence and prepare the mind for future challenges.
• Progressive muscle relaxation: This technique involves systematically tensing and relaxing different muscle groups, promoting physical and mental relaxation.
• Engaging in hobbies or activities unrelated to your sport or fitness routine: This can provide a mental break and prevent burnout.

By addressing both physical and mental aspects of recovery, you can create a more holistic approach to maintaining peak performance and overall well-being.

The Future of Recovery Science

As our understanding of exercise physiology and recovery mechanisms continues to evolve, new technologies and techniques are emerging to enhance the recovery process. From cryotherapy chambers to sophisticated wearable devices that track recovery metrics, the field of recovery science is rapidly advancing.

What cutting-edge recovery methods are on the horizon? Some areas of ongoing research and development include:

• Personalized recovery algorithms based on genetic and physiological data
• Advanced compression garments that adapt to individual needs
• Virtual reality-assisted recovery sessions
• Targeted electrical muscle stimulation for enhanced recovery

While many of these technologies are still in their infancy, they highlight the growing recognition of recovery as a crucial component of athletic performance and overall health.

As research in this field progresses, it’s likely that we’ll see increasingly sophisticated and personalized approaches to recovery, allowing individuals to optimize their physical performance and well-being with greater precision than ever before.

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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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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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.

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:

1. Sufficient kilocalories.
2. 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

1. Muscle pain after exercise is a natural process. During the load, microtraumas occur, and while they heal, the muscles hurt.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

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.

Sleep in complete darkness This way melatonin is produced better and the person sleeps better. If there are no blackout curtains at home, I advise you to buy a sleep mask.

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:

1. Sufficient kilocalories.
2. 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

1. Muscle pain after exercise is a natural process. During the load, microtraumas occur, and while they heal, the muscles hurt.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. With muscle pain, it is important to move. At first it will be unpleasant, but very soon the pain will become much weaker.