If you’re a lover of health and fitness and have recently done a brutal workout, it’s important that you give your muscles time to repair and heal. While sore muscles go hand in hand with an excellent workout, you will want to speed up recovery time so you can get back to doing what you love most.
While muscle soreness caused by exercise tends to fade within a couple of days, here are some tips on how to speed things up and boost your mobility.
Stretch
Once you’ve completed a successful workout, the first line of defense to take is stretching.
Performing stretches regularly may improve your circulation, increase blood flow to your muscles, and shorten recovery time. If your flexibility is limited and you’re struggling to walk, there are numerous body mobility moves that you can try out which may reduce muscle soreness and get you back on your feet quicker.
The last thing you want to do is cause more damage, so it’s best to speak with a personal trainer or a fitness fanatic if you aren’t sure what types of stretches to perform.
Massage Your Sore Spots
Having a massage after vigorous exercise may reduce pain and help your muscles to recover faster.
Whether you’re just starting out on a fitness journey or you are an athlete, there are many benefits you can receive from massaging your sore spots. Doing so will reduce inflammation, decrease muscle tightness, and improve blood flow. You may want to purchase a massage chair that can help ease sore muscles.
Prime Massage Chairs should be top of your list, as they even offer free shipping.
Foam Roll
If you have DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), then performing the simplest of tasks may be near to impossible, which is why you should consider using a foam roller, which may relieve muscle soreness.
Known as an SMR (self-myofascial release) technique, foam rolling can help to reduce inflammation and tightness, alongside boosting your joint range of motion.
Whether you use the tool during your warm-up or once your workout is finished, foam rolling can provide tons of health benefits.
Use Ice
Straight after an intense workout, you should ice your muscles, which can stave off inflammation.
Keeping inflammation down will help your body to keep moving and improve your mobility. Icing dulls sore tissues and acts as a local anesthetic, helping to decelerate pain signals that are being transmitted to your brain. To get the maximum benefits, it’s best to ice within 48 hours of any injury you have sustained.
Keep Moving
While it may seem counterproductive, keeping active can help in easing muscle soreness.
After a heavy workout, the last thing on your mind may be to move, but it’s exactly what you should be doing to help speed up recovery. Instead of going full force into a high-intensity workout, it’s advised to take things slow and try yoga or an easy hike.
As long as you don’t overdo it, gentle stretching and exercise can alleviate muscle soreness. It’s advised to start with focusing on parts of your body that are not as sore, so if you have worked out your arms, taking a walk instead will keep you active and mobile.
While we know how important exercise is for our mental and physical wellbeing, high-intensity workouts can cause sore muscles. If you lead a busy lifestyle and can’t afford to sit around at home to recover, all the tips listed above can ease muscle soreness quicker and boost mobility. If you’re unsure about what strategy to take, it’s best to speak with a healthcare or fitness professional.
