Ways to Treat Sore Muscles and Treat Muscle Recovery Post Workout

Sore muscles are inevitable if you workout. The soreness can range from uncomfortable to debilitating, depending on the type and intensity of the workout, If you are bothered by sore muscles, you must understand what’s causing that muscle discomfort. 

Health experts refer to this discomfort as delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS. During your workout, your muscles are working harder than when you are not working out; they are moving and being used in ways that are different from when they are at their regular state. 

These movements cause tears in the fibres of the muscle, and this is what causes the pain and the soreness. Some level of muscle soreness is good for your body. When your muscles repair, they get stronger. 

So what can be done to boost muscle recovery and help you get back to your exercise of choice? You can help your muscles recover post-workout in some simple ways:

Foam roll

Using foam rollers is one of the smartest and most effective ways, often more painful than sore muscles, to keep muscles healthy. Foam rolling your muscles post-workout helps relax and slow down overactive muscles.

By foam rolling and applying pressure on tender muscles for 30 to 60 seconds will support muscle growth and relax stressed muscles.

Use Copper Compression socks

Scientifically, Copper compression socks can help revive tired feet faster. This is because compression clothing aids in reducing the impression of muscle soreness.

The fabric’s firmness promotes blood flow, helps clear toxins, and provides nutrients to the muscle fibres. Socks provide consistent light compression that improves recovery, thus prevent Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). 

Take an ice bath

Workout often causes microdamage to the muscles, which leads to swelling, soreness, and inflammation. This is a normal process and indicates that the muscles are adapting to the workout. Taking an ice-cold bath can help reduce soreness and inflammation.

Get enough protein

While individual needs might be different, people who work out regularly should consume about 1.4 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight.

Protein is one of the essential nutrients for maintaining and building muscle. Proteins do play a massive role in helping muscles recover from a challenging workout and long-time soreness. 

Warm-up

Starting your workout regime with a five-minute effective warm-up can decrease the risk of muscle injury and also help minimise delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Brisk walking on the treadmill or jumping jacks are an excellent start to get the blood flowing, especially before exercises like deadlifts or pull-ups

Hydrate

Drinking water is crucial for post-workout recovery. Hydrating helps balance electrolytes after an intense workout. This is important for your nervous system and also in muscle contraction. Hydrating also helps flush out and release waste toxins, which are associated with increased soreness.

Although being sore is not a great sign of a good workout, it is a prevalent thing to start a new workout program. If you make some of these changes to your routine and still find that you get sore more than most people, you should consider speaking with a health professional.