This article will explore some of the best ways to relieve muscle soreness, including natural home remedies and nutrition hacks.
I thought I knew what muscle soreness was until I worked out with my football buddy.
I was in high school, and a football buddy said we should go work out, so we did.
He took me through his workout. We did some chest. We did some legs. And we also did some back.
It all felt great.
The next day, I could barely move.
I was sore for the next week.
After about eight days, I could lift my arms over my head.
Let me share with you what happened to me and the best way to relieve muscle soreness.
What muscle pain do I get after a heavy workout or activity?
This is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). The pain is from micro trauma to the muscle from pushing it to a level it is not used to.
How do you know if your pain is DOMS compared to something more serious?
It is likely DOMS:
- If the pain in the muscle is over a broad area of the muscle and not in a specifically targeted point
- If the day before or a few days before, you did more activity or exercise than you usually do
- If you have minimal or no pain in the muscle when moving the joint, unloaded
Should you take a break or work through it when you have DOMS?
The answer to this question is not simple.
It would help if you took a break from the sore area but not back from your full workout. You can still exercise the rest of your body, like an upper body workout. For example, if you have Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness in your legs, you can focus on low-level cardio, like walking. Plus, work on moving the sore area and perform some light stretching.
What can you do about DOMS?
Six best ways to relieve muscle soreness:
- Rest, but try to keep moving
- Try to do low-level activities, like walking
- Increase your hydration by adding a few extra glasses of water to your day
- Try to have a hot soak, and while in the tub, go through some muscle movements and light stretches
- Also, try to eat clean and increase your fruit and vegetable intake
- Get your sleep. Try to get more than you need.
- If necessary, take an anti-inflammatory pain reliever.
When it comes to other pains, when should you continue to work out or get it looked at?
You can continue if it feels like general muscle soreness and you have a full range of motion of the joint when it is unloaded.
If the pain affects what you do daily and does not get better with time, you should look at it with a qualified professional to determine what is wrong and rule out anything serious. Qualified professionals will vary depending on your state, province, or country.
When it comes to fitness professionals, what should they do if they have a client who has pain and wants to continue working out or with their activities?
This is my criteria:
- If the injury is affecting what they do daily and is not getting better with time, it should be looked at by a qualified professional. Qualified professionals will vary depending on your state, province, or country.
- If you do not feel comfortable or confident in training the individual, get them to see a qualified professional and ask for exercise guidelines from that professional.
- If in your professional opinion, they do not have the physical conditioning, training level, or skill needed, or could make an old injury worse with the training style you do (For example, HIIT boot camps or CrossFit, MMA training, etc.), get them to see a qualified professional and ask for exercise guidelines from that professional.
- If they have a chronic condition that could get worse or lead to a serious injury (For example, arthritis, heart disease, uncontrolled diabetes, etc.), get them to see a qualified professional and ask for exercise guidelines from that professional.
What is the best way to prevent DOMS?
Looking for the best way to prevent DOMS?> You Need to Do THIS Before Your Workout, Exercise, and Activity
Rick Kaselj, MS
