Muscles can often feel sore after exercise or a long day at the
mall. Use these simple tips to alleviate common muscle
soreness.
Steps
- Rest This is the very best thing you can do
for soreness. Try not to use the muscle in a strenuous fashion for
24-48 hours after exercise, especially if the soreness is due to a
weight lifting routine.
- Ice Icepacks can help break up a chemical
called lactic acid, which is a waste product that builds up in
muscles after sustained exercise. Follow the 20 minutes on, 20
minutes off approach.
- Stretching This will also help to get the
lactic acid out of your muscles. Waiting a few hours after a
strenuous workout before stretching is not the best. Stretch after
activity that caused the soreness to prevent becoming stiff.
- Heat After the first day of soreness, and
after ice has been used to clear out the lactic acid buildup, heat
can be used to help blood flow to the muscle. This will help
rebuilding take place and provide some soothing relief.
- Proper diet If your muscles are sore from
intense activities such as weightlifting, your muscles are
rebuilding themselves and need lots of protein. Aim to take in 1
gram of protein per day for every pound of lean body mass you have.
For example, a 160lb. man at 20% body fat would want to take in
approximately 130 grams of protein per day. This will speed up
recovery times considerably, as well as prevent muscle loss from
poor nutrition.
Tips
- Saran Wrap. If you need to be moving around (cooking, cleaning,
etc.) while using ice, saran wrap can help secure ice onto a muscle
while you move.
- 5 gallon bucket. For soreness of the arms (like from baseball
practice) a 5 gallon bucket filled with ice water will allow you to
ice the whole arm at one time.
- Stretch while taking a shower. Use water which is slightly
hotter than what you are used to. This increases blood flow around
the muscle fibers with micro-tears.
- If you do end up getting stiff from working out or some other
physical activity where you have forgotten to stretch afterwards,
massaging the stiff area will relieve you from the pain for a
while.Then stretch and find another place of the muscle it hurts
and massage there until the pain goes away.
- You may want to consider a massage or sauna.
Warnings
- Sustained icing of sore muscles is not a very good idea. It is
best to ice the body part for a few seconds, rub dry with a towel
immediately, and gently massaging for a minute or two. Then start
over. This will increase the blood flow to the area and relax the
muscle more effectively than prolonged cooling.
- Joint pain is a serious problem and can result in sustained,
critical injury. Try not to confuse muscle pain and joint pain. If
the pain does not go away after a few days rest and the other
procedures prescribed here, it may be wise to contact a
physician.
- Stretching both before and after exercise is important to avoid
injuries, however it must be done properly. Consult a personal
trainer at your local gym for tips on proper stretching.
- Be careful if you plan to immerse a whole arm as indicated
above with the 5-gallon-bucket method. This may result in a rapid
loss of body warmth and may affect your circulation. Do NOT do this
if you have blood pressure or heart problems. Even if you are
completely healthy, proceed slowly by dipping your arm in bit by
bit, starting at the fingertips, especially if it is a hot day. It
may be even better to make something resembling a popsicle from
regular water and wiping the arm with it (again,
