How to Ease Sore Muscles After a Hard Workout
Ice your sore muscles., Take anti-inflammatory painkillers., Stretch and massage your muscles., Use a foam roller., Eat protein after your workout., Up your intake of antioxidants.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Ice your sore muscles.
When put ice on your muscles, your blood vessels contract, which reduces the swelling in your muscles and can relieve pain.
You can either take a cold shower or use an ice pack to the same effect.
To use an ice pack:
Wrap the ice pack or bag of ice in a cloth.
You don’t want to have the ice directly against your skin because if you leave it on for too long you can actually give yourself frostbite.
Leave the ice on for 10 to 30 minutes.
Any time below 10 minutes will have little effect on your muscles, while time over 30 minutes can result in skin damage. -
Step 2: Take anti-inflammatory painkillers.
Non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can reduce the pain and inflammation you feel after a workout that may have been a little too intense.
NSAIDs work by blocking enzymes that produce prostaglandin, a chemical that is partly responsible for muscle inflammation and pain.
Common NSAIDs include:
Ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin (you should not take aspirin if you are under 18 years of age).
Keep in mind that these will only provide temporary relief and will not help your muscles repair themselves. , Stretching your sore muscles can help to relieve tension and work out some of the pain.
While you stretch your sore muscle, use one hand to squeeze and and massage the belly of the muscle with your thumb and fingers.Do this for 5 to 10 minutes at a time and 3 to 4 times a day.
For example, if you had a sore front thigh:
Sit on a chair with your knees bent.
Grab the knee of the leg with the sore thigh with your left hand and squeeze the muscle with the thumb of your right hand, running your thumb from your hip to your knee. , Using a foam roller to stretch your muscles can help to increase the blood supply to the area and work out toxins that have built up and made your muscles become stiff.
To use a foam roller, you place the sore muscle on top of the roller and move your body against the foam.
To better understand, take the example of a sore calf.
To roll out a calf muscle:
Sit on the floor with both legs straight.
Now put the roller under the sore calf.
Lift your hip with the support of both hands (your palms and the foot of the leg you are not rolling out should be the only parts of your body touching the floor).
Move your calf back and forth on the roller as you move your hip.
Do this three or four times a day for five minutes each. , When you workout, your nitrogen levels can be thrown off.
To keep your nitrogen levels balanced, help build muscle and keep your muscles from getting sore, you should try to eat protein after your workout.
Try to eat protein 30 to 45 minutes after your workout.
It will speed up your muscle’s recovery process to keep them from getting sore.To help you build muscle, you should consume
1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight. , Vitamins A, C, and E are all considered antioxidants, which means that they can help your muscles recover from your workout and reduce inflammation.
Vitamin C is particularly important for collagen tissue formation which is the basis for muscle tissue repair.
You can take vitamin supplements, or you can eat foods rich in these vitamins.
Vitamin A-rich foods:
Sweet potato, carrots, kale, spinach, cooked butternut squash, dried apricots, and cantaloupe.Vitamin C-rich foods:
Oranges, grapefruits, red and yellow bell peppers, broccoli, kiwi, strawberries, kale and spinach.Vitamin E-rich foods:
Tofu, spinach, almonds, sunflower seeds, avocado, and shrimp. -
Step 3: Stretch and massage your muscles.
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Step 4: Use a foam roller.
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Step 5: Eat protein after your workout.
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Step 6: Up your intake of antioxidants.
Detailed Guide
When put ice on your muscles, your blood vessels contract, which reduces the swelling in your muscles and can relieve pain.
You can either take a cold shower or use an ice pack to the same effect.
To use an ice pack:
Wrap the ice pack or bag of ice in a cloth.
You don’t want to have the ice directly against your skin because if you leave it on for too long you can actually give yourself frostbite.
Leave the ice on for 10 to 30 minutes.
Any time below 10 minutes will have little effect on your muscles, while time over 30 minutes can result in skin damage.
Non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can reduce the pain and inflammation you feel after a workout that may have been a little too intense.
NSAIDs work by blocking enzymes that produce prostaglandin, a chemical that is partly responsible for muscle inflammation and pain.
Common NSAIDs include:
Ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin (you should not take aspirin if you are under 18 years of age).
Keep in mind that these will only provide temporary relief and will not help your muscles repair themselves. , Stretching your sore muscles can help to relieve tension and work out some of the pain.
While you stretch your sore muscle, use one hand to squeeze and and massage the belly of the muscle with your thumb and fingers.Do this for 5 to 10 minutes at a time and 3 to 4 times a day.
For example, if you had a sore front thigh:
Sit on a chair with your knees bent.
Grab the knee of the leg with the sore thigh with your left hand and squeeze the muscle with the thumb of your right hand, running your thumb from your hip to your knee. , Using a foam roller to stretch your muscles can help to increase the blood supply to the area and work out toxins that have built up and made your muscles become stiff.
To use a foam roller, you place the sore muscle on top of the roller and move your body against the foam.
To better understand, take the example of a sore calf.
To roll out a calf muscle:
Sit on the floor with both legs straight.
Now put the roller under the sore calf.
Lift your hip with the support of both hands (your palms and the foot of the leg you are not rolling out should be the only parts of your body touching the floor).
Move your calf back and forth on the roller as you move your hip.
Do this three or four times a day for five minutes each. , When you workout, your nitrogen levels can be thrown off.
To keep your nitrogen levels balanced, help build muscle and keep your muscles from getting sore, you should try to eat protein after your workout.
Try to eat protein 30 to 45 minutes after your workout.
It will speed up your muscle’s recovery process to keep them from getting sore.To help you build muscle, you should consume
1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight. , Vitamins A, C, and E are all considered antioxidants, which means that they can help your muscles recover from your workout and reduce inflammation.
Vitamin C is particularly important for collagen tissue formation which is the basis for muscle tissue repair.
You can take vitamin supplements, or you can eat foods rich in these vitamins.
Vitamin A-rich foods:
Sweet potato, carrots, kale, spinach, cooked butternut squash, dried apricots, and cantaloupe.Vitamin C-rich foods:
Oranges, grapefruits, red and yellow bell peppers, broccoli, kiwi, strawberries, kale and spinach.Vitamin E-rich foods:
Tofu, spinach, almonds, sunflower seeds, avocado, and shrimp.
About the Author
Paul Hughes
Writer and educator with a focus on practical crafts knowledge.
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