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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Managing Muscle Pain, Soreness, and Aches

In this Article

You work hard all week, so when the weekend finally rolls around, you want to play just as hard. There’s nothing like a few rounds of golf, a hike in the mountains, or an intense workout at the gym to help you feel recharged.

But all of that exercise can cause soreness and stiffness that shows up a day or two later. Don’t get sidelined by muscle pain. Find out the causes and treatments so you can stay on your game.

What’s Causing My Sore Muscles?

It’s normal to have sore muscles after you work out, play sports, or even do housework, especially if:

• You did something you’re not used to, like running a marathon when you normally jog just a few miles.
• You suddenly kicked up your exercise intensity level or increased the length of your workout.
• You did unusual exercises that lengthen instead of shorten your muscle, like walking downhill or extending your arm during a bicep curl.

These changes to your exercise routine can lead to tiny injuries in your muscle fibers and connective tissue. About a day later, you’ll start to feel sore.

“We call that ‘delayed onset’ muscle soreness,” says Ethel Frese, PT, associate professor of physical therapy at St. Louis University. “It peaks within about 48 hours, and then it will gradually get better.”

The good news is that when you do the same activity again, your muscles will start to get used to it. “You will actually have no soreness or less soreness because now you’ve strengthened the muscle or connective tissue,” says Allan H. Goldfarb, PhD. He’s a professor and exercise physiologist at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.

What’s Causing My Joint Pain?

When your joints feel sore and achy, that’s usually a sign of osteoarthritis. This inflammatory condition becomes more common as you get older. The cartilage that normally cushions the joints wears away, leaving the joints inflamed and painful.

Joint pain can also be caused by overuse or injury, for example, tennis elbow or a knee injury caused by problem with a ligament or meniscus. Ligaments are bands of tissue that connect bones in your body. A meniscus is a rubbery disc that cushions your knee.

Treating Sore Muscles and Joint Pain

One big question a lot of people have when they’re nursing sore muscles is whether to use heat or ice. Experts say indirect ice — an ice pack wrapped in a thin towel — is best for immediate relief.

“Heat will feel good while it’s on, but it’s not going to lessen the damage or make it go away anytime soon,” Frese says.

Goldfarb suggests you ice the sore area right after the activity to cut inflammation. Then use heat later to increase blood flow to the area. Heat also can help relieve joint pain.

If you get sore muscles once in a while, you can take acetaminophen or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) like aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen to help ease the discomfort. Just be cautious about using NSAIDs regularly. Long-term use can interfere with your muscle’s ability to repair itself, Goldfarb says.

Check with your doctor or pharmacist about any interactions these over-the-counter drugs may have with other medications you take. Also, you may need to avoid some medications if you have ulcers, kidney disease, liver disease, or other conditions.

Sometimes soothing sore muscles requires more than an ice pack or over-the-counter pain reliever. Muscle pain that comes on quickly and feels intense is a sign that you’ve injured yourself. Call your doctor if your pain is severe or lasts for more than a few days.

How Do I Prevent Sore Muscles and Joint Pain?

Experts used to recommend stretching before a workout to prevent sore muscles. But research shows that stretching ahead of time doesn’t do much to prevent soreness or injury. Frese says it’s better to get in a good warm-up before you exercise. Stretch later, when your muscles are already warm.

A couple of natural substances are touted for preventing sore muscles, including antioxidants like vitamin C. But check with your doctor before taking high doses of any vitamin. Serious exercisers might find relief from post-workout soreness by taking in some protein. A study of marines found that protein supplements helped sore muscles after intense exercise.

Ease Into Exercise and Check With Your Doctor

One of the best ways to prevent sore muscles is by easing your way into your exercise routine.

“Start off with lighter exercise and gradually build up,” Frese says.

If you have a medical condition or you’re unsure about your health, check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. They can help you find an exercise routine that’s safe and effective for you.

When you have joint pain, you may be tempted to curl up in bed. One of the best things you can do for your joints, though, is to exercise. “Our joints need to move to get nutrition,” Frese says. Weight-bearing exercises can help strengthen the muscles that support the joint. Just watch that you don’t exercise to the point of pain.

It also can help to work with a physical therapist, who can show you how to exercise safely and how to keep good posture so that you don’t get injured or worsen joint pain.

© 2010 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

SOURCES:

Ethel Frese, PT, DPT, CCS, associate professor of physical therapy, St. Louis University. 

Allan H. Goldfarb, PhD, FACSM, professor, exercise physiologist, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. 

Anderson, J. Journal of Athletic Training, July-September 2005.

Connolly, D. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, September 2006.

Flakoll, P. Journal of Applied Physiology, March 2004.

Herbert, R. and de Noronha, M. Cochrane Database Systematic Reviews, 2007.

causes, types of pain and tips on how to relieve muscle pain

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.

CONTENTS

Why muscles hurt after exercise

Articles on medical websites talk about adenosine *** 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.

🕸 Movie

Spiderman releases webs to stop the train.

💪 At training

We pick up the barbell and start lifting it.

🕸 In the movie

Spider-Man keeps the web to the limit. He strains so hard that his suit is torn. Happy ending, the train stops, people are saved.

💪 In training

We lift the bar and apply maximum effort. Muscles are stretched and begin to “crack” – microtrauma occurs at the level of muscle fibers. Happy end: we lifted the bar, rep completed.

🕸 In the movie

Spider-Man is exhausted and falls without strength. It seems that he will need to eat well and sleep in order to recover from this feat.

💪 At training

After training, the muscles hurt from microtrauma – they need high-quality recovery to build up lost fibers. And new ones along with them.

🕸 In the movie

This was not in the movie, but you can guess: after the episode with the train stop, Spider-Man became stronger and more resilient than than he was before.

💪 In training

Muscles become stronger, more resilient and larger every time they receive microtraumas, and then recover.

During training, the muscles are under stress, 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 exercise

We found out 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.

Work 15-20 reps on your first workouts . 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 restored. 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 about just taking a nap after a workout – you need to regularly follow the rules of healthy sleep:

• Duration – 7-9 hours
  The body needs to go from REM sleep to deep sleep 5-6 times in order to get enough sleep. One phase lasts 90–120 minutes.
• Observe the regime
  Go to bed and wake up at about the same time. When your circadian rhythms are in tune, falling asleep and waking up is much easier.
• Sleep in total darkness
  So melatonin is better produced, and a person sleeps better. If there are no blackout curtains at home, I advise you to buy a sleep mask.
• Sleep at 19-21°C
  Research shows that this is the temperature at which thermoregulation works best for quality sleep.

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 good nutrition are:

1. Enough calories.
2. The correct ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates:
   50% carbohydrates, 30% proteins, 20% fats.

Take supplements to bring recovery to the ideal . 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 go through a health check-up at least once a year, because the needs for micronutrients change: today you lack omega-3, and in a year everything is fine with omega-3, but not enough vitamin D3.

What to do if the muscles already hurt

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 hurts. 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.

During the day, do not stay too long: get up more often to shake 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-inflammatory drugs. 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. Heat helps 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 distinguish “normal” muscle pain from injury

It happens that beginners attribute the injury to ordinary pain after training and make themselves 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 makes itself known, 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 them. 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: ↓

it hurts even when you don’t move;

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 doesn’t last long. 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 train if the muscles hurt

If your muscles hurt due to a sports injury, then you should not train so as not to aggravate it. If it’s about 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, you should not torment the body, it is better to let it recover calmly.

In other cases, 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.

Main

1. Muscle pain after a workout 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 just started exercising or came to training after a break, work with weights for 15-20 repetitions. 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 just started exercising or came to training after a break, work with weights for 15-20 repetitions. 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 do not need, then you can not train 🙂

Thank you, we will write more!

How to reduce muscle pain? 5 useful tips

How to reduce muscle pain? 5 useful tips.

Sound familiar? On the previous day, you gave your best in the gym and even completed more sets with more weight. The next day, I want to be proud of myself, but this is difficult, because now I have pain in my muscles.

At this moment, you will certainly think about how to quickly and effectively get rid of pain.

Fortunately, there are several possibilities for this, the five most effective of which we will present to your attention below.

NB! We recommend that you consult with a specialist, if necessary, to find the most suitable solution for you.

Tip #1: An effective cold treatment that will help with pain

You must have heard that you need to apply something cold to injuries, such as a thermal pack.

Thermal pack is a remedy that helps against muscle pain, especially if the pain is local.

However, it is not suitable for alleviating more extensive pain.

Most likely, your muscle pain is caused by overload, due to which microtraumas appear in the muscle fibers, causing inflammation.

In recent years, cryotherapy, or cold therapy, has been gaining popularity among athletes to help manage inflammation, swelling and fiber damage.

Cold treatment reduces the resulting inflammation and thereby muscle pain.

General cryotherapy is a good way to speed up recovery and reduce muscle pain throughout the body.

Local therapy is suitable for reducing pain in specific areas of the body.

Tip #2: Reduce Muscle Pain with Heat

Heat helps relax muscles and increase blood circulation. Therefore, if you are a lover of the bath or you just like to lie in a warm bath, then heat is ideal for reducing muscle pain.

Home heat therapy:

• enjoy a 20-minute soak in a warm bath;
• Apply a warm compress to the muscles. Hold it for 20 minutes. Repeat the procedure three times a day.
• Treat with warm paraffin on your own or at your nearest salon.

Tip #3: Contrast treatment for severe muscle pain

The third method, favored by many athletes, is to reduce pain by contrast treatment, that is, changing hot and cold water.
For maximum effectiveness, start cold. For example, under the shower:

• first turn on cold water with a temperature of 10-15 degrees;
• shower for about five minutes;
• then change the water to warm (35-45 degrees), enjoy 1-3 minutes;
• repeat the procedure several times.

Under the influence of cold water, blood vessels shrink, and in warm water they expand, which in turn helps to cope with various symptoms, including muscle pain.

Tip #4: Optimal water intake is essential

Drinking enough water prevents muscle cramps and keeps your muscles healthy.

After exercise, your body’s fluid stores decrease.

Therefore, water consumption during the recovery period is very important.

Drink something after your workout that will provide you with essential minerals such as magnesium, potassium, sodium and other electrolytes that are lost during exercise.

Then drink at least 2 liters of water throughout the day as usual.

Tip #5: Recovery is the foundation

Muscle pain is a consequence of overload, so don’t forget about recovery.

The above recommendations help reduce pain and speed up recovery, but do not eliminate all of it.

Therefore, it is not necessary to urgently return to the gym, because the performance of all the muscles that have not recovered is not yet what you are used to, and new injuries can quickly make themselves felt.

Give yourself time to recover.