Muscle soreness after workout: Expert reveals tips to overcome it
What's the story
Muscle soreness is one of the major reasons why most of us break up with our fitness and health routine, because let's face it, who likes painful experiences, right? However, Aakash Bansal, founder, certified dietician, and fitness coach at FormFit, shares that it's completely normal and common to feel muscle soreness post workouts. He also shares five effective tips to help you overcome it.
Tip 1
Do active recovery
While the muscular pains may cause you to pause and rest for a few days before you hit the gym again, it isn't the right way to deal with muscle soreness. "One of the best ways to reduce muscle soreness is to get your muscles moving. You can do this through light cardio or active recovery, which includes stretching, walking, yoga, etc," says Bansal.
Tip 2
Eat foods high in Omega-3 and curcumin
Diet plays a massive role in your recovery. "Curcumin is a compound found in turmeric. It's high in antioxidants, has powerful anti-inflammatory effects, has shown to reduce the pain of delayed onset muscle soreness, and speeds up recovery after exercise," shares the nutritionist. He also believes that fish oil and other omega-3 fatty acid sources like walnuts and flax seeds can offer similar benefits.
Tip 3
Use a foam roller or get a massage done
"Foam rolling increases circulation to deliver more nutrients and oxygen to the affected area, which helps reduce swelling and tenderness," reveals Bansal to NewsBytes. For this, he suggests using a soft foam roller and adding as much pressure as your body can tolerate. Massage is another way, in his opinion, that can equally help you heal muscle soreness.
Tip 4
Get quality sleep
One of the best ways to get rid of muscle soreness is to sleep on it, quite literally! "A good night's sleep is essential for muscle recovery. It allows your muscles to repair and grow after exercise," states the FormFit founder. "A lack of sleep has been linked to higher pain sensitivity. Aim to get a good 7-9 hours of quality sleep," he suggests.
Tip 5
Warm up before exercise
Bansal enlightens that warm-up exercises are important to do before you begin your workout. "Don't let muscle soreness stop you from exercising. Before working out, always opt for dynamic stretching where you repeatedly move your muscles and joints," shares the fitness coach. He believes that doing this improves blood flow and enhances your flexibility, all of which heal muscle soreness.
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What to do if your muscle soreness is extreme?
"If the soreness is very high, wait about 48 hours before working for the same muscle groups. Limited or lighter exercise of the same muscles can help reduce soreness. Just avoid complete rest and stay active," he concludes.