Muscle pain can and will arise a few hours or even days after engaging in an intense workout. You might think of it as a "good pain"... Still, this can cause major discomfort as "good pain" can interfere with your daily activities. Fortunately, how to ease muscle pain is within easy reach...
We give to you 6 of the most effective ways on how to relieve muscle pain after a workout.
What Causes Muscle Pain?
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness also known as DOMS can be caused by:
- Doing activities you are not accustomed to.
- A sudden increase in your exercise time or in your exercise intensity level.
- Performing intense exercise routines in which you lengthened your muscle stressing (e.g. a hike in the mountains or extending your arm during a bicep curl).
These changes often lead to tiny injuries in the muscle fiber and connective tissue.
6 Ways to Relieve Muscle Pain after a Workout
1. Stretch and Move More
Even though you might want to flop on the couch, first you have to stretch and move a little more. This helps ease possible muscle pain after exercising as it allows oxygen to flow into your muscles for speedy recovery. Doing Pilates or yoga and walking while breathing deeply for 30 minutes will do you good.
2. Massage
A massage is effective in relieving the pain and tension away from your muscles. Slowly massage the painful areas while making sure you apply just enough pressure to get the blood flowing while reducing stiffness. You can also go to a spa for a professional massage so your entire body will get the TLC it deserves.
3. Apply Heat
Whether it’s a soak in your bathtub, a steam or a sauna room, the warmth of the heat can work magic in those tight muscles of yours which helps you feel more at ease after. Heat alleviates muscle pain by increasing blood flow (making way for more oxygen and nutrient-rich blood) to the area which helps the small muscle tears making painful muscles after workout heal faster.
4. Hot and Cold Treatment
Alternating cold and hot can promote blood circulation and muscle recuperation. Apply ice pack on the sore area for 10-20 minutes or take a cold shower or ice bath followed by a hot compress for 10 minutes.
As a general rule of thumb, use ice for acute injuries or pain, along with inflammation and swelling. Use heat for muscle pain or stiffness.
Source: HealthLine
5. Take Your Protein
Protein is a great muscle pain reliever as it is a nutrient that is converted into energy which helps in rebuilding your energy store which in turn aids in repairing damaged tissues. Thus, it's essential that you consume enough of it on a daily basis. Fish, lean meat, lentils, nuts, poultryand quinoa are great sources of protein.
You can also take Herbalife’s Protein Powder which helps not just in building and maintaining muscle mass but also in boosting your metabolism making you feel fuller longer which is great if you are working out to lose weight. It’s a plain and unsweetened formula which you can add to food and beverages.
6. Take It Slow
Give yourself time to recuperate and gradually ease back into your exercise routine. This gives your body enough time to catch up without the stress.
These 6 ways on how to relieve muscle pain after a workout will get you the relief you need when you're in pain.
Have you tried any of these ways to relieve muscle pain?
Feel free to share your thoughts or your own methods with our readers below
