| It might sound weird to say, but I like it when my muscles get a little sore after a workout, it lets me know I've worked my muscles enough to build strength. But if you want to know how do you relieve sore muscles, there are some easy things you can do.
Many people think that they should do a deep stretch before they exercise. The truth is that if you stretch too deeply while your muscles are tight you can actually do more harm than good.
You can tear muscle fiber which will take a long time to repair and you will miss a lot of workout while you are recovering.
You can sprain or strain, no they're not the same, and be more susceptible to muscle pulls.
You don't want to stop exercising while you wait to repair the damage done by incorrect stretching.
While stretching is good for you, it only works well when your muscles are already loose and warm.
To maximize the effectiveness of stretching do very light warm up moves before you workout and leave the deeper stretches until after you're done. No matter how much stretching you do it's important to understand that the soreness you feel is from the micro tears you get in your muscles from working them.
When your muscles repair themselves this is how you build them up and make them stronger, and bigger. From that point of view a little soreness is actually a good thing.
Ease into any new exercise program. One mistake I've made, is to think that just because I work out and I'm fit I can jump into any type of physical activity. Wrong. Different activities use different muscles in different ways, so anytime you take on something new, you'll probably have some muscle pain.
When you do have sore muscles try to get some light exercise in while you are 'recovering'. Something simple like going for a walk, or a easy bike ride. You want to keep your body moving and loose without putting more strain on your already strained muscles.
Initial treatment for these kinds of injuries should consist of icing the affected area for 15 to 20 minutes every hour for the first 24 hours.
Then apply heat to the affected area again for 15 to 20 minutes every hour. Soaking in a hot tub can also help loosen your sore muscles.
Another relaxing and effective way to relieve the pain of sore muscles is to get a light massage. This will help by increasing blood flow to the affected areas which will effectively warm the muscles and begin to get rid of the built up lactic acid...it's this buildup that makes your muscles sore to begin with.
There are also many over the counter creams and ointments that you can apply to help loosen up your muscles and speed up the recovery time.
Follow these simple tips on how do you relieve sore muscles and you'll enjoy all your physical activities more as well as enjoying your physical appearance more! |