How to Make Sore Muscles Feel Good

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.

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.

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, starting at the fingers), then drying immediately and massaging (moving from the hand towards the body). Be gentle to avoid causing pain or over-agitating the muscles.