Anyone who is active will experience muscle soreness at some point. This is especially true if you’re trying a new type of exercise, working out for longer than usual, or increasing the intensity of your exercise.
“Muscle soreness is caused by microtears and inflammation in the muscles in response to physical stress from exercise,” says Kyle Gonzalez, NSCA, CSCS, CES, FMS Level 1, a future performance coach, an app that pairs users with remote fitness trainers. “Microtears, increased blood flow and inflammation can cause mild swelling, which makes pain receptors more sensitive to exercise. Pain is a natural process, but without the right guidance it can be debilitating and lead to injury.” Which brings us to a very important point: Always listen to your body!
Here are six ways to help ease muscle soreness and speed up the recovery process so you can feel refreshed.
A positive recovery
The pain may last up to 24 hours, or it may last several days until you return to normal. That doesn’t mean you can’t continue to exercise while you’re recovering. But you better take it easy. Consider active recovery with low-impact exercise, such as walking, rather than a difficult HIIT class.
“Active recovery or light activity can reduce pain, increase blood flow, remove chemical waste from your body, and help you adjust to training,” Gonzalez says. “It’s one of the best ways to relieve sore muscles naturally because it’s easy and convenient — just get up and move all day. I like to do low-impact activities like light cardio (swimming, walking, biking), stretching, and yoga.” While stretching is one of the most common ways to relieve muscle soreness, Gonzalez points out that static stretching has little direct effect on relieving soreness. “Usually it provides more of a placebo effect and more attention should be paid to proper dynamic warming up and cooling down.”
massage
Massage is another popular way to reduce sore muscles. “Massage has been shown to reduce inflammation by increasing blood flow. It also increases mitochondria, which contribute to cell repair and function, “Gonzalez said. Contrary to what you might think, he recommends choosing a gentle soothing massage over a deep tissue or more invasive massage to relieve pain.
Heat and ice
Both heat and ice have been shown to be good for sore muscles. “Hyperthermia improves flexibility by increasing blood flow and circulation to the muscles, relieving discomfort and relaxing the muscles. The effect of ice is to reduce blood flow to the muscles, which reduces inflammation and swelling, “Gonzalez said. Alternating hot and cold also works well. Gonzales recommends taking a hot bath or using an ice pack and then applying a heating pad to specific sore spots. He added: ‘Taking a hot bath with Epsom salts (magnesium and sulphate when broken down) is good for reducing pain and relaxing muscles.’
sleep
Sleep isn’t a glamorous option, but it’s where most repair and recovery happens. “While sleeping, the body can relax, remove chemical waste, repair damaged tissue, and reduce pain sensitivity, so it’s important to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night,” Gonzalez said.
Nutrition
There are many foods that can aid in reducing soreness by reducing inflammation and replenishing depleted energy stores. Gonzalez outlines some effective ones below:
- Tart cherry juice can reduce muscle pain and inflammation (but watch out for high amounts of added sugar).
- Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory spice that can reduce muscle damage.
- Cottage cheese is packed with whey protein that helps quickly replenish muscle protein and casein protein, which is slow-acting and can help continue that process while you sleep.
- Green tea is full of antioxidants that reduce muscle and cell damage and boosts hydration.
- Nuts and seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids to fight inflammation and protein to prevent muscle breakdown.
- Sweet potatoes are a complex carbohydrate that’s rich in nutrients and replenishes glycogen stores.
Muscle Rollers
Foam rollers can release tension in the muscles and improve flexibility and range of motion. “Rollers can also facilitate blood flow and are a relatively cheap and efficient option,” says Gonzalez.
Be Careful With OTC Options
As for over-the-counter options, Gonzalez suggests staying clear of them for most situations, but anti-inflammatories like Ibuprofen can sometimes provide relief. “Having a coach who talks to you about your level of soreness and provides feedback as to how your body should be responding to training is essential to a healthy training routine. Always check with a professional before taking any OTC medications to ensure they’re safe and appropriate for you.” In that same vein, if your muscle soreness persists for more than a week, if you feel sharp pain instead of dull achiness or if you can’t perform day-to-day tasks for an extended period of time, check in with your healthcare professional.