How to Get Rid of Sore Muscles

Having sore muscles can be a real nuisance. Whether it is directly following a work out or a result from the lactic acid buildup over the course of day, soreness is downright awful. The effects make it difficult to stay motivated going into the next workout. The general soreness can also make the totality of a day a bit more difficult. Learning how to manage soreness is an important skill. Being clear of soreness means being able to stay focused on staying in shape. Wasted time due to excess soreness is a truly unfortunate side effect of a common affliction due to workouts.

Get Sufficient Post Workout Nutrients

A lot of research has backed that getting enough post workout nutrients is a viable recovery strategy. This is not a must, but helps a lot in the recovery process. A good post workout nutrients item would be the milk shake. The ratio of carbohydrate to protein is recommended to be 2:1. This means consuming 40grams of carbs and 20grams of protein after your workout session. Below is a milkshake recipe which is easy to make at home.  Try it!

 

• 1/2 cup of milk or water as a base
• 1/2 serving of vanilla whey protein powder
• 1/4 cup cottage cheese
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 cup plain, nonfat yogurt
• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp ground flax meal
• 2 tbsp-1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 banana
• 1 cup of berries
• 1/2-1 cup of ice cubes

After placing all the ingredients into the blender, turn on the power and stir for 2 minutes or so. Until all you reach a smooth blend. Serve.

Stretching

If you want to avoid soreness, a good stretch will always help. Muscles that are stretched before a workout simply have a lower probability of being sore later. Try stretching before and after a workout as well as just before you go to bed. Your body wants to build up lactic acid, which causes soreness. While you need the buildup, it is all right to alleviate the soreness without jeopardizing the process.

Warm Up

This may be an obvious answer to some, but many people take warm ups far too lightly. A warm up means taking 10-30 minutes to get the body moving and ready for whatever workouts you are about to do. The body needs the heart pumping and the blood flowing in order to avoid injury. Muscles that are not receiving proper circulation are more apt to pulls and tears. It also purges the muscles of any lactic acid that may be built up. Ligaments and joints also need to be “activated”, in a sense. In general, the body needs to be prepared to put forth the effort, and there is no substitute for a warm up. Think of it this way – if professional athletes warm up before every event, you probably should, too.

Cool Down

After a workout, the muscles can constrict and cause general soreness. In order to avoid this, a good cool down period will stay the pain. Try to take at least ten minutes after a workout to take a brisk walk, round on the stationary bike, or a quick leisurely swim. The idea is to remove the lactic build up outright, not giving it time to settle early.

Yoga and Massage

Yoga is a fantastic way to both stretch and warm up/cool down in supplement with a workout. Yoga focuses the body on healing and sustaining itself, and thus is a great way to avoid soreness. All the muscles become extended and relaxed while still being activated. Simultaneously, you are able to focus your breathing. All of this helps circulation to the muscles and relieves lactic acid buildup. And when you want to take a massive approach, a good massage can help immensely. A sports massage is the best way to alleviate pain as it focuses on removing soreness directly.

Relax

One good way to heal muscle soreness is to relax. It is recommended to spend 30 minutes in a Epsom salt bath or soak in a hot tub and rest. Doing so will reduce the muscle inflammation, improve nerve functions, and detox the muscles. This will in turn take away the stress.

Avoid Activities that Can Result in Pain

This is probably the easiest of all the tips here. Healing the muscles means resting it. Hence, stay away from any activities that can cause unnecessary stress on the muscles. For example, it is not wise to exercise vigorously before you recover fully.