Muscle Soreness: How to Relieve Sore Muscles

Posted on September 14, 2017

Muscle soreness refers to the pain and discomfort people experience usually after performing strenuous exercise. Find out more about causes of muscle soreness and some amazing natural methods to heal sore muscles at the comfort of your home.

It is normal to have sore muscles after a workout session. Many people who workout for the first time or the first time in a long time may experience pain in the muscles. This pain may last up to 72 hours and sometimes disturb your daily routine. Therefore, it is crucial to find out some easy ways of muscle soreness recovery.  

Why do muscles become sore?

When we perform exercises that our body is not used to, we’re more likely to experience soreness. This pain is caused by the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles which triggers pain and burning sensation in muscles.

Common Causes of Sore Muscles

• Sudden involvement in strenuous physical activities that the body is not used to. A good example would be running a marathon when you would normally run a few miles.
• Suddenly increasing the intensity or length of the workout without preparing the body for that.
• Performing unusual and physically labor-some activities like walking downhill or painting a ceiling.

Other Reasons That May Contribute to Muscle Soreness

• Lack of certain minerals in the body such as magnesium, potassium, calcium.
• Problem with blood flow
• Dehydration
• Being on certain medications

Natural Ways to Get Rid of Sore Muscles

Magnesium

When we exercise, we release magnesium out of our body in the form of sweat that causes sore muscles after workout. So, one way to combat muscle soreness is by upping the intake of magnesium. Speaking of which, topical intake is the quickest way of absorbing magnesium in the body.

Use Sore Muscles Magnesium Spray from Seven Minerals, which combines pure magnesium oil and provides instant relief against cramps and sore muscles. The best of part of magnesium spray is, you can apply it directly on the target area and it gets observed easily in no time.

Cold Pack

Cold pack is one of the most effective ways to relieve sore muscles naturally. It helps in reducing pain and inflammation.

Steps to use a cold pack -

• Wrap some ice cubes in a soft towel
• Place it on the affected body part for at least 15 to 20 minutes
• Repeat this procedure every 2 hours for the first 72 hours.

Gentle Stretching

Always stretch before and after engaging in vigorous physical activities. Although stretching alone won’t help you, but it will definitely relax your muscles.

Moreover, you can also try wearing compression socks while running or other athletic activities. It soothes the legs and reduces lactic acid buildup which is accountable for muscle soreness. Apart from this, you can try wearing compression socks for proper blood flow circulation while running. These socks combat muscle soreness and provide great comfort.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a miraculous herb that contains natural painkilling and anti-inflammatory agents. Bioactive compounds present in it provide unmatched results in sore muscles.

How to Use

• Mix one teaspoon of turmeric powder in a cup of milk.
• Heat it over a low flame until the boil comes.
• Consume this mixture twice a day
• Sipping it slowly will lend you speedy internal healing.

Ginger

Similar to turmeric, ginger also acts as a natural anti-inflammatory agent. It improves the circulation of blood flow in the body and relieves muscle soreness.

How to Use

• Take two tablespoons of freshly grated ginger.
• Place them in an airtight cotton bag and then put it in hot water for 1 minute.
• Let it cool.
• Place it on the affected area for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Repeat this procedure twice a day.

Alternately, you can also take ginger tea. If raw ginger is not available, you can use ginger tea bags that are easily available in most of the health food stores.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is proven to fasten the pace of muscle soreness recovery. Vinegar offers a blend of alkalizing and anti-inflammatory properties that reduce pain and inflammation to a great extent.

How to Use

• Add two cups of apple cider vinegar to lukewarm water.
• Use this to prepare a bath
• Repeat this method for two days or until full recovery.

Virgin Coconut Oil

In many countries, people have been using coconut oil to treat various body ailments for many decades. Its anti-inflammatory agents make it most effective natural treatment for muscle soreness and cramps.

• Take few drops of coconut virgin oil and mix it well with 1 tablespoon of essential oil.
• Heat it over low flame for a second or two.
• Apply it directly on the affected area.

Tips to Prevent Muscle Soreness

Although we can’t prevent muscle soreness completely, yet you can reduce the intensity by following these tips -

• Before getting involved in an intense physical activity, do some warm-ups.
• Increase your exercise time gradually.
• Avoid making sudden changes in your exercise routine.

These were few natural ways to get rid of muscle soreness. Hopefully, they will help you to relieve muscle soreness effectively.

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