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These eight ways to prevent muscle soreness, from Kara Wahlgren<\/a><\/strong>, include stretching, foam rolling, and eating for recovery. Sore muscles keep us from getting the most out of our next workouts so it is important to know what causes them and how to recover quickly.<\/p>\n \n Aching after a brutal workout? A common misconception is that sore muscles are\u00a0a sign of an excellent workout, and it\u2019s proof that your body is making changes in a positive direction.<\/p>\n But the truth is that sore muscles and workout quality don\u2019t go hand in hand.<\/p>\n It usually just means you pushed yourself too hard or you\u2019re doing new exercises.\u00a0There are even\u00a0steps you can take to avoid muscle soreness from the get-go.<\/p>\n Even though muscle soreness isn\u2019t a necessity when you\u2019re working to get results, it can creep up on you.<\/p>\n Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) can make you feel the burn while your muscles recover and rebuild.\u00a0But if you take the right steps after your workout, you can go hard without paying the price.<\/p>\n Here are eight easy ways to prevent post-workout pain.<\/p>\n Before we dive into how to relieve muscle soreness, it helps to know why you get sore muscles in the first place.<\/p>\n When you exercise intensely, that can cause micro-tears in your muscle tissue, which leads to\u00a0delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.<\/p>\n This typically develops 12 to 24 hours after a tough workout and can linger for two or three days.<\/p>\n The most common symptoms of DOMS include slight swelling, stiffness, reduced range of motion in the affected joints, and increased tenderness and reduced strength in the affected muscles.<\/p>\n No matter how hard you try to avoid it, sometimes you\u2019re going to overwork your body and find yourself in some pain after a workout.<\/p>\n Exercise-induced muscle soreness usually fades within a few days, but if you\u2019d like to speed things up, follow these tips to help you get on the fast track to feeling 100 percent.<\/p>\n Stretching is your first line of defense after a good workout. When you train, you contract your muscles, and the muscle fibers get shorter.<\/p>\n Lengthening them after a workout promotes mobility and can lead to a more thorough recovery.<\/p>\n While fitness experts can\u2019t seem to agree on this strategy \u2014 one Australian study claims that\u00a0stretching had no impact on sore muscles<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 it certainly won\u2019t hurt, especially if your flexibility is limited.<\/p>\n Using a foam roller to massage your sore muscles after a workout can\u00a0significantly reduce DOMS<\/a>, according to a recent study in the\u00a0International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy<\/em>.<\/p>\n Give each major muscle group at least five rolls, starting with your calves and working your way up your body.<\/p>\n Spend extra time on sore spots.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t limit\u00a0foam rolling\u00a0to your post-workout routine. Do it between workouts to ease muscle soreness and boost mobility.<\/p>\n Indeed, to see significant improvements in the latter, you have to foam roll even on the days you don\u2019t train, report scientists at the University of Oregon.<\/p>\n Even if you\u2019re eating at a calorie deficit, you want to make sure to get enough healthy proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, all of which play important roles in repairing and maintaining muscles and warding off sore muscles.<\/p>\n Beyond that, consider strategically timed protein supplementation.<\/p>\n A couple of hours after working out and when you sleep are two times when protein synthesis (muscle repair) increases, so a post-exercise\/pre-bedtime scoop of\u00a0Beachbody Performance Recover<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0can\u00a0help ensure your body access to amino acids.<\/p>\n \u201cAmino acids are your body\u2019s building blocks,\u201d explains Denis Faye, M.S., and former executive director of nutrition at BODi. \u201cConsuming them at the right times assures they\u2019ll be there when you need them.\u201d<\/p>\n Beachbody Performance Recover<\/a>\u00a0also helps you fight post-workout pain by including\u00a0pomegranate extract<\/a>\u00a0into its formula, which a study at the University of Austin, in Texas, found to reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness by an average of 25 percent.<\/p>\n Heat increases circulation, especially focused heat like that of a Jacuzzi, making it a powerful recovery tool between workouts \u2014 emphasis on \u201cbetween workouts.\u201d<\/p>\n Immediately after a training session, such heat can exacerbate inflammation, and the jets can pound your already-damaged muscles, resulting in more muscle soreness instead of less.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen your muscles are sore, inflammation is a significant part of the problem,\u201d says Faye.<\/p>\n To help reduce this inflammation, consume foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids \u2014 such as salmon, free-range meat, flax, avocado, and walnuts \u2014 in your diet.<\/p>\n The\u00a0natural anti-inflammatory properties<\/a>\u00a0of these foods can help\u00a0dial back soreness\u00a0after overexertion.<\/p>\n The last thing you want to do when everything hurts is to move, but that\u2019s exactly what you\u00a0need<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>to do.<\/p>\n These workouts are designed to help your body work out kinks and soreness.<\/p>\n They can be used anytime you need them, can\u2019t be done too often, and always leave you feeling much better than before you started.<\/p>\n If your program doesn\u2019t have a recovery workout,\u00a0a gentle yoga class\u00a0or going on an easy hike is a good option.<\/p>\n Fitness pros call this kind of activity \u201cactive recovery,\u201d and if you find yourself winded or unable to hold a conversation while you do it, you\u2019re overexerting yourself.<\/p>\n If you want to be technical about it, wear a heart rate monitor and stay below 140 beats per minute.<\/p>\n Immediately after a tough workout, icing your muscles can stave off inflammation.<\/p>\n \u201cInflammation is one of nature\u2019s defense mechanisms, but it works like a cast \u2014 it immobilizes you,\u201d according to Steve Edwards, former Vice President of Fitness and Nutrition at Beachbody.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you keep inflammation down, that area is free to keep moving, and movement promotes healing.\u201d<\/p>\n Like stretching, its effectiveness is up for debate \u2014 some researchers have claimed that\u00a0ice is only effective for injuries and not for run-of-the-mill soreness<\/a>, but it\u2019s a simple and safe option that\u00a0many top-level athletes swear by<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cUnless you ice so long that you give yourself frostbite, there\u2019s really no danger,\u201d Edwards says. \u201cIt seems to really speed up healing without any adverse effects.\u201d<\/p>\n Sometimes you can power through a workout with sore muscles, but sometimes it feels downright impossible.<\/p>\n Popping some vitamin I (the street name for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAID] such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin) can significantly reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness, but that relief might come at a price.<\/p>\n An ever-growing body of research has linked NSAIDs (including ibuprofen) to everything from\u00a0cardiovascular issues<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0intestinal dysfunction<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0suppressed protein synthesis<\/a>\u00a0post-exercise.<\/p>\n Occasionally taking a couple of capsules for muscle soreness is probably fine \u2014 but give some serious thought to using it regularly.<\/p>\n For more information on this topic, check out the following studies:<\/p>\n Resources:<\/strong>\u00a0Donnelly AE, Maughan RJ, Whiting PH. Effects of ibuprofen on exercise-induced muscle soreness and indices of muscle damage.<\/p>\n Gorsline RT1, Kaeding CC. The use of NSAIDs and nutritional supplements in athletes with osteoarthritis: prevalence, benefits, and consequences.\u00a0Clin Sports Med<\/em>. 2005 Jan; 24(1):71\u201382.<\/p>\n Rahnama N, Rahmani-Nia F, Ebrahim K. The isolated and combined effects of selected physical activity and ibuprofen on delayed-onset muscle soreness.\u00a0Journal of Sports Science<\/em>. 2005 Aug; 23(8): 843\u201350.<\/p>\n Trelle S1, Reichenbach S, Wandel S, Hildebrand P, Tschannen B, Villiger PM, Egger M, J\u00fcni P. Cardiovascular safety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: network meta-analysis.\u00a0BMJ<\/em>. 2011 Jan 11; 342:c7086. doi: 10.1136\/bmj.c7086.<\/p>\n Warden SJ. Prophylactic use of NSAIDs by athletes: a risk\/benefit assessment.\u00a0Phys Sportsmed<\/em>. 2010 Apr; 38(1):132-8. doi: 10.3810\/psm.2010.04.1770.<\/p>\n Wharam PC, Speedy DB, Noakes TD, Thompson JM, Reid SA, Holtzhausen LM. NSAID use increases the risk of developing hyponatremia during an Ironman triathlon.\u00a0Medicine and Science Sports and Exercise<\/em>. 2006 Apr; 38(4): 618\u201322.<\/p>\nWhat Are Sore Muscles?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How to Relieve Sore Muscles<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Stretch<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n2. Foam roll<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Massage your sore spots<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n4. Eat for rapid recovery<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. Get heated<\/strong><\/h3>\n
6. Favor fatty acids<\/strong><\/h3>\n
7. Keep moving<\/strong><\/h3>\n
8. Ice it<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Are You Too Sore to Work Out?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Should You Take a Painkiller to Relieve Muscle Soreness?<\/strong><\/h2>\n