Having sore muscles after a workout happens to almost everyone. It happens with all athletes and those who are beginners too. The soreness can usually be felt about 12-48 hours after you have just started a new exercise regimen or have changed over to another exercise regimen. Having sore muscles after working out are a natural response of the body and can be quite easily combated.
The sore muscles usually last for a few days to a week after starting new exercises. During this time you’ll find many of your everyday movements to be slightly uncomfortable. After this the pain subsides as the muscles are starting to heal. Sore muscles after a workout are thought to happen due to tearing of the muscle fibers. Therefore, when those tears have healed you should find a lot of relief.
Sometimes you may also get swelling in your limbs, which can also cause some discomfort and pain. Some people may experience extremely sore muscles after working out, while most people feel their muscles aching with less intensity. It depends on a number of factors, such as how they stretched, how long they exercised for, etc.
Luckily, there are ways to reduce the intensity of sore muscles after a workout. Following a few simple steps before and after exercising can make things a lot more comfortable for you.
Firstly, ensure that you do a thorough warm up session before you start exercising. This gets blood and oxygen circulating, which relaxes your muscles and allows them to stretch more comfortably.
While working out, start off slow and gradually increase the intensity over time. Remember to do your exercises in a predetermined number of repetitions, and to rest in between each set. Don’t change exercises too frequently in a short span of time, as this can cause strain on your body and make muscles ache.
Also remember to stretch and do some cooling down exercise after the workout. Simply walk in place for a few minutes and do some simple stretches that work all the muscles in your body. This really helps to keep muscles from aching later.
In case you still experience muscle soreness, some low impact aerobic exercises might provide you with some relief. This is especially true if you’re doing heavy weight training.
You can also lightly massage the sore muscles to help them heal faster. In fact your trainer will probably instruct you on how to massage the area to provide relief to aching limbs. Intake of vitamins C, A & E will also help with sore muscle relief. Another solution that might work for you is a topical cream like Icy Hot.
If the pain is too much to bear, then you may have some aspirin or ibuprofen. Taking some over the counter medication is fine, unless you take it on a daily basis. If used too often, these medicines can cause some unpleasant side effects. Use pain relief pills only occasionally, because if you become dependent on them your liver, kidney and many other organs will suffer.
For the most part, dealing with and preventing sore muscles is fairly easy. With a little preparation and experience, you’ll be able to start a new workout routine whenever you want without worrying about aching muscles ruining your week.
