by: Stefan Simonovic
If you're one of those people who prefer working out over sitting behind a desk while browsing through BBW dating sites, then you most likely know just how many obstacles are set in front of you on the path of achieving your goal.
From plateaus to exercise injuries, there is a multitude of problems one can come across while working out. However, none of them are as common as muscle soreness, which all gym-goers experience quite often. In that name, here are a few tips and tricks on how to alleviate the pain caused by sore muscles.
1. Cooldown Stretching
Even though it should be a crucial part of both the pre- and post-workout routine, there are still many people out there who ignore the importance of cooldown stretching. This is a huge mistake because stretching for five minutes after your exercise session can lower muscle soreness by a whopping 70%.
This is especially important for persons that aren't that flexible. Our flexibility largely depends on the length of our muscle fiber - the shorter it is, the less flexible we are and the more muscle soreness we'll feel after every workout.
If you stretch before (dynamic stretch) and after (static stretch) your training, however, you'll extend the length of your muscle fiber and therefore it'll be easier to perform certain moves while you won't feel as much soreness in your muscles as you usually do.
Muscle soreness - as well as cramps - is also caused by the amount of lactic acid that gets accumulated in our muscle tissue while we work out. To counter this, make sure you massage the spots you feel the most soreness in.
Lactic acid is a compound naturally produced by the human body. Without getting too much into it, let's just say that too much lactic acid can cause your muscles to involuntarily contract, which is why we feel soreness and sometimes even get cramps.
This can easily be prevented by a good massage. An hour or two after you're done working out, set aside about 30 minutes to put pressure on the muscles that usually cause you the most soreness. Press them down with your fingers to help release the lactic acid before it starts reacting and causing a problem for your muscles.
3. Recovery Eating
Finally, one can alleviate muscle soreness through food. By eating the right stuff, you'll help your muscles feed and grow instead of being sore or cramping up.
Increase the intake of amino acids and protein after each workout. If your workout plan is a serious one, you'll need a lot of protein to help your muscles recover after each session. Either go for foods that have substantial quantities of protein or ensure that you take protein supplements with your meals.
As far as amino acids go, they play a big role in body recovery since they're used by your muscles, connective tissue and pretty much every other cell in your body. To help your body after getting exhausted, just let it have some much-needed amino acid goodness.
About the author:
Stefan is a writer and a blogger in his spare time. He also works for First Beat Media, a company that mainly focuses on the online dating niche and similar services.
