Who has time for post workout pain? You certainly don’t, and you shouldn’t have to worry about it. While working out is one of the most common ways to get fit, it can be a painful process. Whether your reason for working out, the most important aspect of the process after it ends is how you can get rid of that achy soreness and pain.
Whatever your training program may be, the muscle soreness and pain is always the same. One day you work out your legs, the next, you cannot sit on the toilet! This is not fun, and is often one of the most painful post-workout days as you cannot walk normally without the soreness kicking your butt! There are many ways to get rid of this dreaded pain. Read on to find out how!
1. Stop working out.
This may not be your preferred way to get rid of the soreness, as your goals might fly right out the window. Although this method gives you a high likelihood of feeling better in a hurry, not working out is almost a worst pain for some people. At the very least you should consider being easier on your body, or at least taking a small amount of time away from your normal routine so that you can recover properly.
2. Eat right.
Chances are that you are just not eating enough protein and carbohydrates in your diet, which is causing you unnecessary pain. Eating protein and carbohydrates in the mornings, directly after a workout, or as soon as possible after a workout completes is crucial to removing soreness. Both protein and carbohydrates help repair the muscles. This is turn will eliminate the possibility of that achy feeling you get for the next three to five days after working out.
The main reason to take these proteins and carbohydrates right after a workout is that your muscle’s growth and repair process starts right away. Therefore, in order to speed up recovery you should ingest some type of protein and carbohydrate.
3. Try stretching.
Another great to use after a hard workout is to stretch. Now for guys out there, you may not be the most flexible in general. This said, stretching could very well be the most important task to do right after a workout. Working a muscle out is actually the tearing of small muscle fibre, so in order to reduce the muscle soreness, both stretching and foam rolling the muscle will actually help break down these little tears to provide you with long term benefits.
4. Take ice baths.
To follow this ice bath suggestion, you will need to try to get into a big tub, or a bath full of ice and water. Sounds fun doesn’t it? Although this may seem very difficult to do, it is a very effective way to remove the aches and pains that come as a result of your fitness goals.
You will always hear of athletes who put their bodies through very tough conditions and submerge their bodies in the sub-zero water afterwards, exiting the tub afterwards with reduced soreness in their muscles.
The reasoning behind this method is that soon after working out, your muscles swell up, causing the soreness to occur. The ice water will speed the recover process by chasing the blood away from the muscle, causing the inflammation of the muscle to diminish.
You should not jump directly in the tub of ice water, as it could be a shock to your system. Ease yourself into the icy water instead!
5. Use a hot tub.
Opposite of the ice bath, an excellent alternative to reduce the soreness of the muscles is to have a relaxing soak in a hot tub. If you don’t like the idea of an ice bath then this is the solution for you!
The purpose of a hot tub is to surround the muscles with hot water, which will increase blood circulation to the muscle. Having an increase in blood circulation within the muscle is helpful for speeding up the recovery process. Applying heat through the hot tub will allow the muscles to loosen from its stiff state, allowing movement to occur, which, in turn, will also allow the muscle to relax and decrease soreness.
Alternatives to the hot tub can include heat packs, warm showers or baths, and saunas. All options are great ways to apply heat to the muscle to allow the relaxation to occur.
6. Try massage therapy.
You now have the reason for a much needed massage that you’ve wanted, and may have been irritating your ‘special someone’ for. There are many ways you can get this needed massage. You can go to a clinic to pay for a massage therapist to relieve the stress, and soreness of the muscles.
A cheap alternative to a massage therapist is to have a spouse or friend to gently massage the sore muscles. Just remember, talk smooth and offer an interesting incentive. Remember to choose wisely!
7. Get your rest.
The day you’ve been looking for after the long days of working out: finally, a rest day! Rest days are crucial to the process of recovery. You do not want to over-train your muscles as it may cause damage to the muscles you are training too often. This is especially critical if you are training the same muscle group too often during the week.
8. Take supplements.
Now, if you want to seem like a real gym ‘meat head,’ as some would say, supplements might be what you are looking for! Supplements can decrease the unwanted soreness of an intense workout, although this method can become quite expensive.
There are many different types of supplements that help with muscle soreness, but their effectiveness relies on how many different supplements you can take, as well as the frequency in which you take these supplements. Over time, the price can really take a toll on the wallet.
Here are a few supplements that are known to help speed up recovery, while reducing muscle soreness: Protein Powder, Amino Acids (BCAAs), Glutamine, etc. Always consult a doctor before using any of these products to make sure you have the product that works best for you!
Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain muscle, or train for a sporting event, the muscle soreness that comes with each and every workout is undoubtedly going to follow behind. Each and every one of these methods will give you the results you came looking for: to get rid of pain after working out. Good luck in this process!
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