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It’s not unusual to experience delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after a strenuous physical activity.
When muscles face excessive stress, the fibres get ripped and repaired by the body.
This rebuilding process makes the muscles stronger and more resistant to stress.
DOMS take effect a few hours after working out and can last a few days if not treated properly.
Although this is normal, it can be uncomfortable to experience.
Pole dancers, gymnasts, and weightlifters all suffer from DOMS from time to time.
Here are a few ways you can do to relieve yourself from DOMS:
Take a hot bath
A nice hot bath helps greatly in relieving muscle pains.
Take a dip and increase the water temperature to as much as your body can handle.
For a more soothing effect and faster muscle recovery, put in some Epsom Salt into your bathwater.
Epsom Salt is believed to add a relaxing effect to the body.
It’s readily available in drugstores and grocery stores.
If you can’t dip your whole body in a hot bath, point the shower head to aching areas like your back or shoulders, and flush it with hot water.
Eat tart cherries, YUM!!!
Eating tart cherries or drinking a tart cherry juice has been proven to ease muscle soreness after working out.
Tart cherries have antioxidants called anthocyanins which are responsible for reducing muscle inflammation.
Athletes consuming tart cherries before and after workout experience reduced muscle soreness.
If you can’t have tart cherries, red raspberries are a good alternative.
Use foam rollers
Foam rollers are effective in reducing muscle pains.
Use it on your shoulders, back, and calves for around 10 minutes and you’ll feel refreshed afterward.
Roll your muscles on the foam roller like a dough to reduce DOMS.
You can incorporate foam rolling as part of your daily pre or post-workout routine to alleviate muscle pains.
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There are different types of foam rollers.
Those with spikes work best for targeting a specific muscle area.
A hard foam roller can be used for muscle aches you’ve been experiencing for a long time.
The soft one, on the other hand, is for gently massaging light muscle pains.
Get a Massage
Treat yourself to a massage after doing a heavy workout.
A professional massage therapist knows the right areas to push in order to relieve your aching muscles.
After your massage, apply a hot compress on your muscles and take a hot bath to maximize its benefits.
Massage relieves muscle tension, increases blood flow, and improves joint motion.
It can also improve your mood and remove any stress you’re feeling.
Deep-tissue massages can speed up the removal of waste materials in your muscles that cause soreness.
Sports-related injuries can also be treated with a sports massage.
Stretch and do recovery workouts
There are mild exercises that you can do to help your muscles recover from soreness.
Yoga, Pilates, cycling, aerobic jogging, and light cardio are some of the low-impact exercises you can do as part of your recovery workout.
Giving your muscles a light stretch before and after working out can also help your muscles recover faster from DOMS.
Don’t stretch your muscles to the point that it hurts, though.
You may injure your muscles instead of helping it recuperate.
Apply ice
Putting ice on the inflamed area can help to quickly ease the effects of DOMS.
The cold temperature stops muscle damage and speeds up the rebuilding process.
Put crushed ice on a waterproof bag, wrap it in a towel, and apply it on the affected area, but we all know pain can flare up in awkward places and crushed ice can be annoying to try and sooth.
Drink coffee
Do you know that drinking coffee before working out can reduce DOMS by about 48%?
Caffeine found in coffee has analgesic properties present in over-the-counter pain relievers.
Sip a cup or two of coffee an hour before your workout to reduce muscle soreness.
Preventing DOMS
Why cure DOMS when you can prevent it in the first place?
Remember the tips below to prevent suffering from DOMS:
- Avoid overdoing your exercise. Know your limits to avoid injuries.
- Don’t forget to warm your muscles up.
- Stretching before and after working out helps reduce the effect of DOMS.
Now you know the different ways to treat DOMS.
If you find these tips helpful, share it with your friends and help them with their muscle pains.