How to Decrease Muscle Soreness

So you just had a great workout or a great run, it’s two hours later and your muscles are throbbing with soreness. We’ve all been there. That’s both a great and terrible feeling at the same time. You feel accomplished but also feel the pain whenever trying to make your way up the stairs. So how can you decrease the soreness? Read these tips to reduce muscle soreness so that you can get back at it quicker than ever.

1. Take an Ice Bath

Cryotherapy is long trusted by sports medicine doctors across the globe. By submerging your body in a cold bath, your body will be forced to circulate blood in order to keep your body at its homeostatic state. This extra blood circulation will help to pump lactic acid out of your muscles and provide oxygen to help them recover.

2. Massage

Massage is another great way to reduce muscle soreness. Similar to cryotherapy, a massage will help to rid your muscle of lactic acid and improve blood circulation. By loosening and relaxing your muscles, you’ll also improve your flexibility and reduce muscle pains or soreness.

3. Stretch

Stretching your muscles after your workout is a great way to lower future muscle soreness. Stretching will improve circulation and flexibility. Stretching is also great for your posture, range of motion, and stress relief. Try stretching 10-15 minutes per day to maximize results.

Not sure what stretches to do? You can find all the stretches you need here!

4. Drink tart cherry juice

Tart cherry juice is rather new to the sports medicine scene but doctors are becoming more and more impressed by the results they have found wit it. Tart cherries have been found to decrease inflammation in your muscles which aids in recovery. Some athletes swear by once 8-ounce glass of tart cherry juice per day to aid in their recovery. Give it a try!

5. Sleep

This one might seem obvious but is probably the most crucial. Getting a full 8 hours of sleep per night is the best thing you can do to recover faster. While sleeping, your muscles repair themselves by fusing muscle fibers together to form new myofibrils. This is what makes you stronger. Be sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep per night to recover quicker.

Want to learn more about muscle recovery? You can read our article on how to recover harder to gain more muscle mass here! Be sure to comment your favorite recovery techniques below!