How To Help Sore Muscles After a Workout

For many people, the mark of a good workout is waking up with sore muscles. Common as it is, though, there’s still a lot of uncertainty about soreness. Can you work out when you’re sore? Do you need to treat sore muscles? Is soreness a cause for concern?

Dr. Ryan Lingor, a primary care sports physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, answers all of your questions about muscle soreness.

Is soreness bad?

Not usually. “When people are initiating a new workout regimen, it’s very common to develop soreness,” Lingor says. Soreness is also common after people incorporate new moves or additional weight into their existing routine. “It doesn’t necessarily mean they have to stop the exercise or they have an injury.”

How sore is too sore?

Experiencing some soreness is fine — but there are some red flags that may suggest your pain isn’t normal. Soreness is typical symmetrical, Lingor says, so if you experience significantly more pain on one side of the body, it may be a sign of a pulled muscle or other injury. Normal soreness should also develop between 24 and 36 hours after your workout and recede within about three days; if it persists longer, Lingor says, it may be a sign of something more serious.

Perhaps the biggest thing to look out for, however, is a change in urine color, which may indicate a relatively rare but potentially serious over-training condition called rhabdomyolysis. “Sometimes you can get something where the muscles start to break down in an abnormal fashion,” Lingor says. “That muscle breakdown filters through the kidneys and turns the urine dark.” If you notice that your urine looks darker or brown in the days after an intense workout, consult a doctor.

How do you help sore muscles after a workout?

Light activity is the best treatment for muscle soreness, Lingor says. “There’s no real effective treatment for delayed-onset muscle soreness. The best thing actually is low-impact activity,” he says. Time also helps.

Common strategies such as stretching, icing and applying heat aren’t harmful, Lingor says, but “there’s mixed evidence about whether those things are helpful or not. ”

Can you work out when you’re sore?

Yes. Since light activity is the best cure for soreness, Lingor says he recommends people swim or do other low-impact exercise when they’re left with aching muscles.

As long as you don’t see any of the above red flags, Lingor says there’s no medical reason to stay away from higher-intensity workouts either, although the discomfort may be enough to prompt a rest day.

How can you prevent soreness?

While soreness is to be expected when you start or intensify an exercise routine, Lingor says you can minimize its impact by staying properly hydrated, recovering adequately after a hard workout and eating healthy sources of carbohydrates and protein after exercising.

Otherwise, just look at your tender muscles as a sign that you’re mixing it up a the gym. “Variety is a good thing,” Lingor says, and soreness “just kind of comes with the territory.”

Write to Jamie Ducharme at [email protected].

Are Sore Muscles After a Workout Normal?

Whether you’re just getting back into the swing of working out or you’re an avid exerciser, we all experience soreness after a workout at some point.

If you’re brand new to exercise, soreness is expected. After all, your muscles are used to inactivity and it will take a bit for them to adjust to a fitness routine. If you are active, changing up your fitness routine with something your body isn’t used to — like trying a new workout or increasing weight — uses your muscles in a different way and can lead to soreness.

Feeling a little bit sore after a workout can be totally normal. But it is also important to know the difference between normal muscle soreness and actual pain that may indicate an injury or overuse.

What’s the difference between being sore and being in pain?

There’s a big difference between the two. The soreness you feel creep up the few days after a workout is called delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. When we do exercise that the body is unaccustomed to, it causes temporary muscle damage and inflammation needed for the body to adapt and grow stronger. This may cause you to feel achiness, soreness and stiffness. 

The main way to tell the difference between soreness and pain is when the discomfort starts and how long is lasts. Muscle soreness takes at least a few hours and sometimes a few days to develop and it can last anywhere from 1-3 days, sometimes longer, depending on the intensity of the exercise or how long it’s been since you last exercised. Pain is more likely to happen immediately while engaging in physical activity. And more often than not, the pain will linger for longer and affect your ability to perform daily activities.

Signs of muscle soreness:

• Muscles that are tender to the touch.
• Muscles that may have an achy or tight sensation.
• Normally starts after physical activity is over (and sometimes not until a day or two later).

Signs of pain or injury:

• Sharp pain at rest or while exercising.
• The pain may be more frequent when compared to muscle soreness.
• It starts during physical activity, occasionally after.
• Swelling or inflammation is a common sign of an injured muscle.

Why do I feel stiff and achy after my workout?

Everyone experiences soreness differently. Delayed onset muscle soreness not only causes the soreness that many are accustomed to experiencing after working out, but also stiffness and achy muscles, too. If your muscles aren’t accustomed to the intensity, duration or volume of exercise they experienced, they must adapt and get stronger. As your muscles repair and recover, these symptoms occur because of that injury and repair process.

For some, this can come in the form of an achy sensation in your muscles. Others may simply feel stiff. Muscle aches can last up to two days after a workout. Most of the time this is completely normal and a sign that your muscles are repairing and rebuilding stronger.

What to do if you’re feeling pain after a workout

Mild to moderate soreness after an intense workout is normal, extreme soreness or pain is not and may be a sign of injury. If the pain is severe or persists longer than a week, I recommend consulting a doctor. If the muscles are worked too hard or if they aren’t given enough time to recover, it can result in damaged muscles, joints or tissues. Your doctor may recommend ice or heat, rest from exercise, or other measures to help your body heal.

How to help your muscles recover faster

An effective way to reduce soreness is to incorporate a static stretching session after every workout. By holding a stretch, you are improving flexibility and supporting muscle recovery. Adding light movement on your rest days, like taking a walk or doing some yoga, can also encourage blood circulation to help muscles repair faster, lessening the duration and intensity of muscle soreness.

Drinking water to stay hydrated is an often overlooked way to prevent muscle soreness. Getting enough electrolytes (which can be consumed through a healthy balanced diet) can also drastically improve muscle recovery. If you spend a lot of time out in the summer heat, especially if you’re exercising and sweating, make a point to consume extra water as your chance of dehydration — and in turn, muscle cramps and soreness — increases.

Finally, foam rolling or massaging the muscles can help loosen them up and promote faster recovery.

The bottom line

Mild soreness and stiffness is normal, especially if you are new to exercise or upping the intensity of your current routine.

After a few weeks of doing an exercise consistently, your muscles should begin to acclimate as they grow stronger, and the stiffness and soreness you feel after every workout session should subside. If it isn’t, that’s a sign that you may need to add more rest days between your workouts or reduce the intensity or duration of your workout sessions until your body adjusts.

While you may not be able to avoid soreness completely (especially if you’re new to a fitness routine), the good news is that you can lessen the severity and duration by easing into it (and not doing too much, too soon), static stretching after each workout session, and incorporating rest days in between workouts.

Stephanie Mansour

Stephanie Mansour is a contributing health and fitness writer for TODAY. She is a certified personal trainer, yoga and Pilates instructor and weight-loss coach for women. She hosts “Step It Up with Steph” on PBS. Join her complimentary health and weight-loss challenge and follow her for daily inspiration on Instagram and in her new app.

How to get rid of muscle pain after training: 8 simple tips

Contents

• 1 How to get rid of muscle pain after training? Tips and tricks
  • 1.1 Causes of pain
  • 1.2 How to prevent pain
  • 1.3 How to relieve pain after exercise
    • 1.3.1 1. Muscle stretching
    • 1. 3.2 2. Massage

    9000 5 1.3.3 3. Cold and hot compresses

    • 1.3.4 4. Rest and flexibility
  • 1.4 Taking water treatments
  • 1.5 Doing massage
  • 1.6 Applying cold or heat
  • 1.7 Drinking enough water
  • 1.8 Avoiding movements that cause pain
  • 1.9 Warming up — the first step to reducing muscle pain after exercise
    • 1.9.1 Do a light warm-up
  • 1.10 Take painkillers to relieve muscle pain after exercise
  • 1.11 When to see a doctor about muscle pain after exercise
    • 1.11.1 Severe pain
    • 1.11.2 Swelling and redness
    • 1.11.3 Lose coordination
    • 1.11.4 Other unusual symptoms
  • 1 .12 Related videos:
  • 1.13 Q&A:
    • • 1.13.0.1 Why do muscles hurt after a workout?
      • 1.13.0.2 How to deal with sore muscles after exercise?
      • 1.13.0.3 How long does muscle pain last?
      • 1.13.0.4 Can I go to the gym if my muscles hurt?
      • 1. 13.0.5 What should I do if my muscle pain persists for a long time?
      • 1.13.0.6 How can I prevent muscle pain after exercise?

How to deal with sore muscles after exercise: light exercise, massage, cold and heat application, and proper nutrition and rest – expert advice.

Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, many people face the problem of sore muscles after intense workouts. The appearance of pain is associated with numerous factors and can be caused not only by excessive stress on the muscles. It can also be observed in people who do not exercise regularly, but have made an unusual effort for themselves.

However, do not panic – muscle pain after training is normal. To successfully deal with this problem, it is important to understand how to avoid its occurrence and how to properly treat if a nuisance occurs.

This article will help you learn all about the causes and treatments for muscle pain after sports. She will talk about how muscles and pain are connected, how to avoid the onset of pain and how to properly treat if they do appear.

Causes of pain

Muscle pain after exercise can be caused by several reasons. One of them is the damage to muscle fibers that occurs with any physical activity. Also, pain can occur due to insufficient warming up of the muscles before training.

Some athletes may experience pain due to improper exercise technique. In this case, it usually increases during the exercise and may last after the workout. It should also be borne in mind that pain can be caused by muscle overstrain, which manifests itself when training is too intense.

• Damage to muscle fibers is a common cause of pain after other strenuous exercise.
• Insufficient muscle warm-up is another cause of muscle pain after exercise.
• Wrong exercise technique – often the main cause of pain the next day after training.
• Muscle Overexertion – Excessive intensity of exercise can lead to muscle soreness and pain.

The mechanism of pain formation after exercise is quite complex and depends on many factors, so you should take into account the characteristics of your body and the correct selection of training in order to avoid the occurrence of unwanted symptoms.

How to prevent soreness

To avoid sore muscles after training, it is recommended to start with a good warm-up. Stretching your muscles before exercise can reduce the risk of injury and relieve pain.

It is also important to give your body time to recover. Tired and damaged muscles need time to recover and renew themselves. Therefore, plan your workouts so that the muscles have enough time to recover.

Pay attention to your diet, as proper nutrition also plays an important role in preventing muscle pain. Make sure you eat enough protein and carbohydrates so that your body can recover effectively from workouts.

Also, don’t forget to stay hydrated. Water helps to remove toxins from the body and increases muscle volume. Drink enough water during and after exercise.

As a result, in order to prevent pain, it is necessary to monitor how you exercise, rest, eat and moisturize your body.

How to relieve pain after a workout

1. Stretching the muscles

After a workout, many people forget the importance of stretching the muscles, which allows them to relax and calm down. Try to stretch your muscles a little longer than usual to increase blood flow and reduce pain. Remember that the stretch should be soft, without sudden movements.

2. Massage

Massage is good for relaxing muscles and reducing pain. You can use a massage ball, roller or special massage devices. Remember to massage the loaded muscles, not the bones or joints.

3. Cold and hot compresses

A cold compress is good for reducing swelling and inflammation, while a hot compress relaxes and relieves muscle pain. You can use ice packs wrapped in paper towels or hot baths or showers.

4. Rest and flexibility

When we exercise, all the muscles in the body are loaded. After finishing your workout, don’t forget to give your body time to rest so that your muscles fully recover. Also, try to make flexibility to reduce the risk of muscle and ligament damage in the future.

1. Follow these post-workout tips to help relieve pain and reduce the risk of future injury.
2. Remember to also drink enough water to avoid muscle dehydration.

Take a water treatment

If your muscles hurt after a workout, take a water treatment. Bathing in a bath infused with essential oils such as lavender or eucalyptus can help reduce pain and relax your muscles.

You can also shower with the massage head to gently massage your muscles and improve blood circulation. Use warm water to relieve spasms and relieve pain. But do not forget about a cold shower after a hot one to speed up muscle recovery and avoid swelling.

• Bathe in water at a temperature of 37-38 degrees
• Add essential oils to the water to improve the effect
• Use a massage head in the shower
• Begin and end your water treatments with a contrast shower to warm up and cool down your muscles

900 21

The efficient way to relieve muscle pain is to take water procedures.

Massage

Massage after physical activity will help speed up muscle regeneration and reduce pain. Start by slowly and lightly stroking the muscles, moving from the limbs to the heart.

If you are not sure about your massage skills, it is recommended to consult a specialist. The massage therapist will be able to identify problem areas and conduct appropriate techniques.

• Pay attention to the pressure when massaging, do not press too hard.
• Relax your muscles before starting the massage. Use warm compresses or a hot bath to improve circulation and relax your muscles.
• Massage for 10-15 minutes per muscle group. Remember to stop if you experience pain.

Massaging your back after a workout can also help relieve muscle tension. Apply gentle acupressure techniques to relieve back pain.

Applying cold or heat

If you experience muscle soreness after a workout, the most effective way to relieve pain is to apply cold or heat. Both methods can help reduce swelling and speed up muscle recovery.

Cold

To apply cold, use an ice gel pad or simply wet a towel with cold water and apply to sore muscles for 20-30 minutes. This will help reduce swelling and reduce inflammation. You can also take a cold shower or soak your feet in cold water for a few minutes.

Heat

If you are stuck in the office for a long time, then warm up your muscles with a heating pad or heated towel for 20-30 minutes. You can also take a hot bath or visit the sauna. The main thing is not to overheat the muscles or use heat immediately after training, when the muscles are still loaded and at risk of damage.

Choose cold or warm depending on your feelings and individual characteristics of the body. In some cases, cold and heat should be used alternately for maximum effect.

Drinking enough water

One of the most important factors in training is drinking enough water. Indeed, during physical exertion, fluid loss in the body is very high. In this case, the muscles can begin to hurt and contract.

To avoid sore muscles after training, it is important to drink about 2-3 liters of water per day. If desired, you can add lemon juice to the water, which will help improve metabolism and immediately burn excess fatty tissue in the body.

Don’t forget that drinking enough water has not only benefits for the body, but also helps to avoid muscle soreness, which can interfere with the training process and lead to injuries.

Avoiding movements that cause pain

One of the main problems with exercise is muscle soreness after exercise, which can last for several days. In such cases, it is important to correctly assess your capabilities and avoid movements that cause pain.

During training, gradually increase the load so that the muscles can get used to it. If during the training the muscles begin to hurt, you must immediately stop the exercise or reduce the load.

It is important to remember that you can not load those muscles that are just starting to get used to the load. It is better to do fewer repetitions, but with maximum accuracy and control over movements.

If the pain persists for a long time, it is better to contact a specialist who will help you choose the right training plan and give recommendations on strengthening muscle tissue.

• Result: choose exercises that most effectively affect the desired muscle groups and avoid training those muscles that are not yet accustomed to the load.

Warm-up is the first step to reduce muscle soreness after exercise

Doing a light warm-up

After a workout, many people may experience muscle soreness. However, there are a number of ways to reduce pain and reduce inflammation. One such method is to warm up before and after a workout.

At first, the warm-up may seem useless or even stupid. But in fact, it will help expand blood vessels, increase blood flow and reduce the risk of injury during exercise. In addition, warming up after a workout will help relax the muscles, which in turn will reduce pain.

• How to warm up?
  • – Start with light exercises that won’t cause muscle soreness.
  • – Work each muscle group in turn, stretching them for 10-15 seconds.
  • – Use stretching and light cardio to increase blood flow.
• Why warm up?
  • – Warming up will help reduce the risk of injury and soreness after exercise.
  • – Stretching the muscles after a workout will reduce the possible pain caused by the inflammatory process in the body.
  • – Warming up will help speed up post-workout recovery and improve the overall quality of your workout.

Thus, warming up before and after training will help reduce pain and increase the effectiveness of training. Do not forget about it to get the maximum result and avoid injuries!

Taking Pain Remedies for Post-Workout Muscle Soreness

Post-workout muscle pain can interfere with your physical activity and damage your muscles in the long run. Pain medications can be taken to reduce pain.

Do not overuse analgesics because they will not treat future muscle damage and will not improve your fitness. Best of all, see a specialist to help you properly stretch and unblock your body after your workout, preventing pain and muscle damage in the future.

When to See a Doctor for Post-Workout Muscle Soreness

Severe Pain

If you experience very severe muscle pain after a workout that doesn’t go away even after a few days, it could indicate a serious health problem. In this case, you should not wait and hope that the pain will go away on its own – a minor injury can lead to more serious complications.

Swelling and redness

If you notice swelling and redness at the site of pain, this may indicate an inflammatory process in the body. You may have injured a muscle or tendon and bacteria got into the area, causing inflammation. In this case, consult a doctor – he will prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Losing coordination

If especially severe muscle pain after a workout is accompanied by loss of coordination, this is an important signal. Perhaps you have damaged the nerves or muscles that are responsible for certain parts of the brain. In this case, contact your doctor as soon as possible.

Other unusual symptoms

If you have other unusual symptoms in combination with muscle pain, do not delay a visit to the doctor. For example, if you notice rashes on your body or feel weak in your legs, this may indicate serious health problems. The sooner you see a doctor, the more effective the treatment will be.

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Q&A:

Why do muscles hurt after a workout?

During exercise, muscle fibers are micro-traumatized, which causes an inflammatory reaction. This leads to a feeling of pain and tension in the muscles. This is a normal process and is the body’s natural response to exercise.

How to deal with sore muscles after exercise?

The best way to deal with muscle disease is to rest. However, if you still want to exercise, then you should do a warm-up to warm up your muscles. The more blood you have, the faster you will wean yourself from pain.

How long does muscle pain last?

The duration of muscle pain can vary. Depending on the intensity of the training, age, physical condition and other factors, it can last from several hours to several days.

Can I go to the gym if my muscles hurt?

If your muscles are sore after a workout, it is not recommended to exercise in the gym immediately. It is better to rest for a few days so that the muscles recover. If the pain persists for more than a week, then you should consult a doctor.

What should I do if my muscle pain does not go away for a long time?

If muscle pain persists for more than a week, see a doctor. This may be a sign of a serious injury that needs to be treated. Your doctor may prescribe pain medication to reduce pain and physical therapy to help your muscles recover.

How can I prevent muscle pain after exercise?

To prevent soreness after a workout, warm up properly before you start exercising. You also need to make sure that you are using the correct exercise technique. You should not immediately start intensive training, you should gradually increase the load.

Why muscles ache after training and what to do about it

Professional athletes and advanced amateur athletes are not surprised by muscle discomfort after training. For them, this is part of the training process and one of the indicators of the successful completion of the program.

But what about a beginner who has just started his training in the gym, a running club or has ridden his first kilometers on a bicycle? How to distinguish “good” pain from “bad” pain?

Why muscles hurt after training

In order for muscle strength (and volume – in the case of bodybuilding) to increase, the muscle must experience significant stress against the background of the load to which it is accustomed.

This stress is felt as a pleasant burning sensation that occurs in the muscles when exercising with weights or high intensity. The famous phrase “No pain – no progress” (from the English. “No pain, no gain”) perfectly reflects the inevitability of discomfort that occurs after a workout.

Fatigue after a hard workout is a good sign that the athlete has worked to the limit. At the same time, after training, he should be able to raise his arms, walk to work or home, without experiencing exhaustion or pain that hinders movement and does not allow him to perform daily duties.

It is widely believed that muscle pain is a consequence of the accumulation of lactic acid, which is released during intense exercise and “floods” the muscles. It is so and not so at the same time.

Lactic acid is a breakdown product of glucose that accumulates in muscles when there is a lack of oxygen. This usually occurs when working with heavy weights, while running at high speeds or pedaling a bicycle uphill, that is, when the inhaled oxygen is not enough to ensure performance.

“Actually, muscle soreness is caused by damage to the muscles and the connective tissue around them during exercise,” explains Dr. Corbin Hedt, a physiotherapist at the Houston Methodist School. This is perfectly normal and you have nothing to worry about. This is necessary for muscle growth, because in the process of recovery they become stronger. ”

Is it true that when muscles hurt, they grow?

Unpleasant sensations in the morning after class usually put beginners in a stupor.

It is important to remember that krepatura (delayed pain after exercise) is a natural reaction of the body. It occurs a few hours or days after a voluminous, intense or new training for a person due to microtraumas (microscopic tears) of muscle fibers.

Serious injury to any part of the body, whether it be a joint, muscle, ligament, or tendon, usually occurs during or shortly after exercise due to overuse.

“Muscles undergo a lot of physical stress when we exercise,” explains Rick Sharp, professor of physiology at Iowa State University. – Light soreness is a natural result. They are most common in the initial stages, when a person is just starting to train.

Minor soreness indicates that the muscles are beginning to adapt to a new mode of physical activity. Krepatura occur in everyone – beginners, amateur athletes and professionals. This is primarily due not to the level of training, but to the novelty of the load. If a person has not used such simulators, exercises, weights before, or increased the duration of the workout, then the likelihood of krepatura increases.

Sander Rubin, MD, Sports Medicine Specialist, notes that muscles adapt and grow even if you don’t feel uncomfortable after a workout. If you see by weights or external signs that the training has given an increase, then it is effective. It doesn’t have to be pain to do this.

How to deal with sore muscles after training

So far, physiotherapists have not found an effective drug that would instantly relieve any adverse effects of training. Among the most common remedies for softening krepatura are:

• cooling – cold shower or bath, ice;
• massage;
• thermal exposure, eg sauna;
• stretch.

Cold exposure includes cold showers, cool water baths, applying ice packs to the injured area, cryosaunas. Cold is best used if you feel discomfort immediately after a workout. This will reduce inflammation and pain.

Exposure to cold should last no more than 10-15 minutes, and the optimum temperature for a bath or shower is between +10°C and +15°C.

We understand the intricacies of sports recovery. When is the best time to use ice, and when is it best to use a hot tub and sauna?

Other means – massage, sauna, stretching – are best used to relieve muscle tension, that is, in the absence of obvious injuries.

In this case, exposure to heat, such as a sauna or heating pads, will help relieve cramps and spasms. With an increase in body temperature, blood flow accelerates, which stimulates the removal of decay products, the delivery of oxygen and nutrients.

Is it possible to exercise with muscle pain? If this is not an injury, but a krepatura, then it is important to continue moving. Reduce the load or connect other muscle groups: this will accelerate blood flow and speed up recovery.

If you’ve been running an intense workout at the stadium, add a couple of days of easy jogging or pedaling a stationary bike. Trained with a heavy barbell in the bench press – load your legs or swim in the pool at an easy pace.