Relieve Workout-Induced Muscle Soreness

Muscle soreness is common if you’ve just started to exercise or amped up the intensity of your workout. I do strenuous workouts 5 times a week! These include mostly weights with a bit of cardio. I do tend to get very sore, which is why I have to really work on releasing all the tightness and tension.

Here’s what I do to prevent and heal soreness.

• Foam rolling – nothing works better than foam rolling pre and post workout. A good 5-7 minutes of foam rolling will not only help in warming up, stretching and releasing muscle tightness, but also increase blood flow and help your body recover faster.
• Gentle warm up on a treadmill – after foam rolling for 5 minutes, I do a low-intensity 5-minute warm up on the treadmill to loosen up my muscles and prepare my body for the workout. Cooling out on the treadmill is equally important. It will bring your heart rate back to normal, and also relax your muscles.

• Hydrate, and hydrate! This one is a must if you want to avoid muscle cramps, dizziness, and to lubricate your joints. I add 1 ORS hydration tablet in my gym bottle which helps replenish lost electrolytes.

 

• Apply magnesium oil – I use the Better You Magnesium Oil – a recovery pure mineral oil spray helps speed up recovery time. A massive amount of magnesium is lost through sweat and the accelerated metabolism during strenuous exercise. If you experience muscle cramps and spasms then this will help.

 

• Deep tissue massage- I go for a 90-minute deep tissue massage once after every couple of weeks. My body craves for it. The treatment helps release all the tightness and tension, help remove knots and make my body feel so much lighter.
• Take turmeric- it is the best anti-inflammatory, natural supplement. Regular intake of turmeric can help reduce joint pains and muscle soreness.

 

• Eat proper portions and combinations of protein and carbs – this will feed your muscles, and hence improve recovery. It will also keep your energy levels going.

 

• Lastly, take it easy. Don’t over do your training sessions. It is best to listen to your body. If the pain persists for more than a day or two after a workout, you most definitely should give your body a break. A hard workout can be followed by a few days of light workout sessions too. It is better than no workout at all.