Whether it’s your first day back at the gym or you regularly maintain a vigorous fitness routine these simple tips for preventing and relieving muscle soreness will help you ease the pain and recover faster.
Tips for relieving muscle soreness after exercising
Stretch out and warm up.
It’s important to prepare your body before a workout by stretching your muscles. Start with gentle dynamic stretches followed by static stretches. Combining both will help you prepare your muscles. Warming up, especially before lifting weights, is also very important. If you’ll be doing weights start off with the cardio portion of your workout and also, don’t forget to protect your back.
Stay hydrated.
Staying hydrated before and throughout your workout is important. Not only does it prevent cramps, it also decreases inflammation and sore muscles after your workout.
Keep a good form.
Maintaining a good form and posture while exercising will prevent injuries and tears. You will get more benefit and less muscle soreness by lifting less weight while maintaining a good form than by lifting more weight with a bad form.
Don’t underestimate the power of a good shower.
After a strenuous workout, an ice-cold shower is a great way to reduce the inflammation and swelling produced by micro-tears in your muscles. So while a cold shower is ideal right after working out, a relaxing hot shower with a massage option is also ideal for soothing sore muscles the days following exercise.
What’s best after exercise: hot or cold shower?
Depending on what your workout and what and when you take it a cold or hot shower can do wonders to relieve muscle tension and soreness.
When to take a cold shower
Many athletes use ice baths after doing strenuous exercise. This is because cold water reduces the inflammation that results from micro-tears in your muscles. A cold shower is ideal immediately after working out hard to help repair those muscle tears and reduce muscle soreness by speeding up the recovery process. For a cold shower to have the best effect the water should be ice cold, so a cold shower will really work best when the tap water is very cold. It may not be very successful if you’re taking a “cold shower” in Florida in the summer.
Taking a Cold Plunge to Relieve Muscle Soreness
One effective method to alleviate muscle soreness post-workout is by incorporating a cold plunge tub or an ice bath into your recovery routine. These cold therapies help reduce inflammation and ease muscle fatigue by constricting blood vessels, flushing out waste products, and decreasing swelling. For the best results, consider using the best cold plunge tub or ice bath available, click here to get it. And consider incorporating this refreshing technique into your post-exercise regimen for enhanced recovery and improved performance.
When to take a hot shower
A hot shower is ideal for relaxing your muscles and increasing blood flow. If your workout was not too strenuous and you’re just looking to relax your muscles and relieve tension, a hot shower is ideal. A hot shower also helps your muscles recover after a strenuous workout if taken few hours after the workout or the next day. A hot shower will help you reduce muscle tightness, which can reduce muscle pain. The hot water relaxes and loosens your muscles.
Combining cold and hot showers to reduce muscle soreness
So my best advice is to take an ice-cold shower immediately after a hard workout and then follow that up with a hot or warm shower later that day or the next day to loosen up your muscles. It’s ideal to use a shower that gives you the flexibility to target the areas that are sore and that delivers a strong massaging force.
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That Spa system looks great! I am always wanting to find ways to soothe my muscles after a workout and this looks awesome.
This is something that I need to try for my muscles. After lifting weights this is something that would feel good.
Oh yes, I do love a good shower after a workout. I’ll keep these in mind. I jog and sometimes my legs hurt.
Great post. I also heard that eating pineapple and melon helps release muscle tension. Not sure why but it’s one of those tales I’ve always been told by gym rats.
this seems super informative and helpful for muscular issues. thanks for sharing this post.
this seems super informative and helpful for muscular issues. thanks for sharing this post.
The spa system looks great and useful for someone like me who has a spinal injury and has problems reaching their back etc.
I usually take a cold shower after workouts since I feel so darn hot; who knew I was actually doing the best for my muscles! I’m not crazy about really warm showers since it dries my skin badly, and instead I use heating pads on really sore muscles if I have them.
Yes to keep drinking water, but I absolutely agree with you about a good shower. Of course, I always go for the hot shower, cold never!