How to Reduce Post-Workout Soreness
By Sara Butler
The feeling you get from absolutely crushing a difficult workout is fantastic. What’s not so fantastic? Waking up the next morning feeling as if you went toe-to-toe with Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee in their primes. Barely being able to lift your arms the next day or walking to the bathroom are some of the not-so-pleasant side effects of a tough workout. Here’s the thing: it’s avoidable. Not all soreness can be headed off at the pass but there are things you can do to reduce soreness after a particularly brutal workout.
Why You Get Sore
Soreness is actually an indication that what you’re doing is working! When you exercise, you put stress on the different tissues of the body such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This stress causes microscopic tears in the tissue that leads to inflammation. That inflammation is why putting your pants on was so difficult the morning after your workout.
How to Reduce Soreness
There are a few things you can do after your workout to help reduce soreness and feel better the next day – maybe as if you just got into a fight with just Chuck Norris or Bruce Lee (but not both at the same time)! You should:
- Use a foam roller – Foam rolling before and after your workout can help reduce soreness. That’s because foam rolling helps your stretching routine to be more effective by working out any knots in muscle that may form before or during exercise. It also helps to increase blood flow, improve range of motion, and reduce muscle tension.
- Be active – Even when you’re sore, you need to make sure you’re still moving. Light exercise will help you to feel better after a tough workout. Don’t skip the gym because you’re sore, soldier through and you’ll feel better.
- Have protein post-workout – Nutrition plays a large role in workout recovery. Protein is the building-block of muscle, so give your muscles what they need to recover and rebuild with a protein boost. You need about a half gram to a gram of protein per pound of body weight, so aim for that to help you feel better!
Soreness is kind of a fact of life when you’re working toward fitness goals, but you don’t have to be miserable. You can help to combat excessive soreness and recover faster by following these tips!
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Columbia, S.C.