Muscle soreness is common after a grueling workout session. Excessive pressure on the muscles causes fatigue and inflammation. It can be very painful and demotivating for anyone. Scientifically, this syndrome is referred to as DOMS(Delayed onset muscle soreness). It is a common syndrome for anyone who returns to the gym after an extended period. This soreness occurs due to a collapse in muscle tissue. It is an inflammatory response of the immunity system. The pain naturally peaks around 24 to 48 hours after a workout session, and remain for 3 to 5 days. Here are some proven ways, that you can utilize to reduce muscle soreness after the workout session.
Strong thighs are important for preventing knee injuries.
Stretching and Recovery Workouts
Before starting any grueling workout session, it is a good idea to stretch out your muscles, and prepare themselves for the workout session. Stretching increases blood flow in the muscles, and prevents muscle damage ahead. Never increase the pace of your workout suddenly, instead increase the workout session gradually. It reduces certain strains on the muscles. After completing the workout session, carry on the recovery workouts for muscle relaxation. Some Yoga poses can be very effective for muscle relaxation and it can prevent muscle soreness in advance.
Post-exercise massage
Post-exercise massage after a workout session can provide lots of relief from muscle strain. Many clinical tests have proven that regular massage can increase blood flow in muscle and rejuvenate new blood vessels in these areas. It is a scientifically proven technique to reduce the effect of DOMS. When the muscles are sore, it is better to take a gentle massage. To get a better result from post-exercise massage, it is advised to take the message within 5 hours of exercise. You can also try acupressure massage or Swedish massage on the muscles.
Ice baths
An ice bath or cold therapy is a scientifically proven therapy for reducing muscle soreness. It can ease sore muscles, decrease inflammation, improve circulation, and reduce muscle pain. Many world-class athletes use this technique to reduce muscle strain after a hardcore workout session. Anyone can create an ice bath by adding large bags of ice in a half-filled bathtub. For better result make sure the water is cold. You can also use a small container filled with cold water for certain body parts like elbow or wrist. This therapy is not suitable for those people who are suffering from cold, pneumonia, or cardiac problems.
Antioxidants
It is scientifically proven that diet plays a crucial role in recovering from any cell or muscle damage. In clinical tests, it has been proven that an antioxidant-rich diet can reduce muscle soreness by 68%. Tart cherries are one such fruit that contains an abundant amount of nutrition and antioxidants. When these antioxidants reach the damaged cells, they reduce the inflammation and the nutrients of this fruit repair damaged muscles quickly. Many world-class marathoners consume this fruit after an exhausting workout.
Caffeine
Various medical tests show that caffeine contains analgesic elements, which works like a natural pain killer. Just two cup of coffee before an hour of exercise can prepare your body for it. It not only charges up the body but also energizes you mentally for exercise. However, over usage of caffeine increases tolerance in your body and reduces its pain managing ability, over time.
Water
Many people don’t take it seriously, but hydration is an important part of the exercise. The human body gets muscle fatigue quickly when they remain dehydrated. When we exercise rapidly, we lose lots of energy, and our body gets warm up quickly. To compensate for this, our body will sweat a lot to keep our bodies cool. During this sweating process, we lose lots of water, and it may cause dehydration. Dehydration increases muscle injury risk rapidly. Therefore, drink plenty of water to manage muscle soreness.
When muscle soreness increase and pain become unbearable, it is a good idea to take medication for managing muscle pain. In adverse cases of pain and discomfort, it might be better for your physical and mental health to manage the pain with medical care.