We’ve all suffered from sore muscles at some point in our lives. You don’t have to go to the gym to feel soreness, but doing a sport or an activity which you’re not used to may cause it. Anything from mowing your lawn and gardening, to shoveling snow or just cleaning the house can cause it: everyone gets sore, aches, and pains, which is why it’s important to have the tools to tame it.
What causes sore muscles?
Soreness is caused when we submit our muscles into overdrive, for example when we do an exercise that we are not used to doing. When we do this, our muscles release a liquid called lactic acid, which produces the sensation of pain or cramps.
How can we reduce sore muscles?
Here are some ways to avoid soreness as well as ways to heal them quicker and allow you to go on with your day-to-day activities.
Delicious smoothie
Take a couple rounds of pineapple and blend them with oranges or lemons and some ice. Pineapples are rich in minerals and vitamins, but they also contain bromelain. Studies have proven that the extract of bromelain, along with the vitamin C found in citrus can help reduce the pain caused by excessive physical effort. We recommend you try this smoothie after training or doing physical activities. It is not only super hydrating, but it’s also great for a boost of energy.
Magnesium
Muscle soreness can be also linked to lack of minerals, especially magnesium. This mineral is very important to ensure your muscles work correctly and that’s why many people take sports supplements when training. Yet, there is no need for pills because there are lots of foods that contain large quantities of minerals. You just have to make sure you include them in your daily meals. In this group of foods, we can find sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, oats, quinoa, spinach, beans, parsley, and corn… you may not like them all, but we’re sure there is one you can include in your lunch or take as a snack!
Apply heat and cold
When you have muscular pain sometimes you feel like you can’t move from the sofa, but that’s o.k because rest is important to heal. To complement the healing process, you can apply heat to the painful areas in your body for 10 minutes and then apply cold packs to that same spot afterward for 10 minutes and continue to alternate. That way you help to relax your muscles and heal them quicker.
Massage your muscles
A good way to complement your rest is also massaging the areas where you feel pain. Massaging will help to break adhesions and scar tissue. You can do this with your own hands or with a foam roller. There are several oils that you can use that can help you get a better massage. These oils have anti-inflammatory effects and are great for sore muscles: lavender, chamomile, peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, juniper, and ginger oil.
Warm up and stretch
And last but not least, one of the bases of any activity: warm up and stretch! This is something that can prevent you from getting sore, but it’s something that most people hate doing. It is important to warm up your muscles, as well as stretch them, and get them ready for any activity you do and we are not just talking about sports! Don’t forget to stretch after you’re done working out too. That way, you can prevent pulled muscles, muscle stiffness, and soreness.
Make sure you follow these easy steps and tips next time you suffer from muscular pain. In case they don’t work for you, do not worry, the soreness will go away in a few days. Literally, muscle soreness lasts from 1 to 2 days, and it has no severe health problems. Don’t let it discourage you from working out since after you continue to workout, your muscles will become stronger and you won’t have to worry about soreness anymore.