Working out is great for building muscle and burning fat. Unfortunately, a pesky side effect can be muscle soreness depending on what you do before and after your workouts. A few of the symptoms of muscle soreness include fatigue, weakness, and stiffness of the affected area. Muscle soreness can be very irksome to deal with and it can get in the way of your regular workout routine and activities. Luckily, there are a few different ways to combat muscle soreness caused by exercise.
1. Consume anti-inflammatory foods
Eating anti-inflammatory foods can help ease the symptoms of muscle soreness. Foods that have anti-inflammatory properties include salmon, cherries, eggs, ginger, garlic, and sprouting broccoli.
2. Drink a protein shake
Protein is essential for muscle recovery. When you exercise, you are susceptible to small tears in your muscle fibers. Protein helps your body repair and recover its muscle tissue. Typically, nutritional experts advice up to 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.
3. Hydrate
Dehydration can lead to a lack of electrolytes which causes muscle soreness. In order to avoid dehydration, you should drink water throughout the day and during your workout – especially if you sweat a lot.
4. Stretch
Stretching after you do a light warm up that lasts a duration of 10 to 15 minutes can prevent injury and soreness during your exercise routine. Yoga and deep stretching are great post warm-up options.
5. Topical arnica
Arnica is used for skin pain, swelling, aches, and bruises that occur on the body. It’s a natural remedy for muscle soreness. Studies have shown that arnica can relieve inflammation in sore areas.
6. Take an ice bath
Ice baths can reduce muscle soreness if they’re taken after your exercise routine. All you need is a large container or tub, fill it with cold water and ice. Experts recommend the duration of your ice bath to last from 6 to 8 minutes, don’t go over 10 minutes.
