How to Get Rid of Sore Muscles

Muscle Pain

After a busy week at work, nothing is more enjoyable than playing your favorite sport or hitting the gym for your workout routine. Your weekend just wouldn’t seem complete without having some form of exercise. But come Monday, you wake up with muscle soreness and you can’t imagine going to work feeling like every move you make causes pain. Sound familiar?

Sore muscles are extremely common especially for those who engage in strenuous activities. Probably most of us have experienced feeling sore at some point, and the troubles it brings are just down right annoying. Many just wait it out and try to ignore the pain, but that wouldn’t work every time. To help you get back to your 100 percent condition, here are tips on how to get rid of sore muscles.

What Causes Muscle Soreness?

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When you perform an exercise - be it weightlifting, running, etc. - you shock your muscles by the amount of work you put in. For example, if you are just used to jogging and suddenly decided to give running a try, your muscles work harder and try to adapt to the work you exerted. This results to tears in the muscle fibers which causes inflammation.

How to Get Rid of Sore Muscles Fast

1. Rest.

This may sound common sense but everyone would benefit from a little reminder. The best way to relieve sore muscles is to have sufficient rest. Delayed onset muscle soreness usually goes away on its own after 5-7 days, provided that you rest properly.

2. Use a little heat.

For fast relief, you can try applying heat to the sore muscles to reduce the pain. This can be as simple as taking a warm shower or putting a warm towel over your muscles. Heat helps relax stiff muscles and improve circulation.

3. Apply an ice pack.

Ice packs have been used by professional athletes for years because of one simple reason: It works. Right after feeling sore, grab an ice pack and apply it on your sore muscles. Remember that ice application becomes less effective as time passes so do it within 48 hours to relieve sore muscles.

4. Take anti-inflammatories.

Anti-inflammatory medications will help you relieve discomfort but wouldn’t help in shortening the recovery time your muscles need to heal. If you can’t stand the pain, you can take acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Just remember not to overuse these drugs as it can affect your muscles’ ability to heal on their own.

5. Do some stretching.

Some people limit stretching to their pre-workout routine. But stretching could actually be better performed after your workout. Try warming up before you perform your routine then save the stretching later. While some say that stretching does not help in any way with muscle soreness, some swear that it actually helps them. Do some gentle stretching and see if it helps you get rid of sore muscles from working out.

6. Perform light exercises.

If you have sore muscles, the last thing on your mind might be getting up and doing some exercise. But performing light exercises can actually help treat sore muscles. This also does not contradict with the number one tip. The key is to choose your exercises carefully and avoid strenuous activities. Some great choices include jogging, swimming, and yoga. These exercises improve blood flow and warm up your muscles.

7. Visit your doctor.

If you have tried the tips above but continue to struggle to get rid of sore muscles, consider consulting your doctor. You might not know it but you might be suffering from a more serious injury. If the pain is still there after 2 weeks, visit your doctor immediately. Only an expert can tell if you have an injury and recommend the right treatment for you.