Post-workout aches and pains are no surprise for many fitness fans, especially for those who are new to working out regularly. While it’s important for your muscles to recover from a hard workout, waiting too long can make you antsy and can even throw you off your groove.
So what can you do to help reduce those pains so you can get back to running, kick-boxing, and other aerobic activities that let you feel the burn? Here are a few simple tips you can use to fight back against workout soreness.
Make sure to warm up before you stretch
Oftentimes, people will stretch before they get ready to work out. While stretching is crucial for injury prevention, it’s just as important to warm up before you actually do your stretches. The reason for this is because stretching muscles, ligaments, and tendons that are already tight may actually cause more strains and tears than you would think. Warming up by jogging in place for a few minutes can help to get your muscles in gear for stretching.
Get yourself some compression socks
You already know your athletic socks are a big part of your wardrobe. In fact, the global socks market is expected to reach $24.16 billion by 2025. But if you haven’t invested in a pair of compression socks just yet, now may be the best time. Compression socks and sleeves help to reduce inflammation and promote blood flow during your workouts. This helps to reduce pain and swelling in certain parts of your body, especially your feet and your calves.
Invest in a knee brace
Depending on what kinds of aches and pains you’re feeling after or even during your workout, you may need something a little more advanced than compression sleeves. More than 20 million people over the age of 18 have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs and the reason for that is often because of knee problems.
Runner’s knee affects up to 30% of runners and is a common overuse injury that impacts your patella. You don’t necessarily have to be a runner to suffer from runner’s knee. Any exercise that puts pressure on the knee such as walking, jogging, sprinting, jumping, and cycling can all cause runner’s knee. Consider using a knee brace specifically designed for runner’s knee to help take some of the pressure off your joints while you exercise. Low-impact exercises may also be a good idea. Make sure to talk to your doctor if you’re worried you may have runner’s knee.
Give CBD oil a try
CBD oil has been trending a lot lately. While it may not help to treat everything, one thing it’s good for is inflammation. Up to 85% of legal cannabis consumption is used for treating pain, and CBD oil can be an effective tool for athletes. Research shows that CBD can help to reduce inflammation, especially after intense exercise, and CBD with legal amounts of THC can also help to reduce pain.
Ice your muscles after workouts
You don’t need to be a serious athlete to ice your muscles after you’ve finished working out. Keeping ice on your muscles for at least 15 minutes after you’ve finished stretching can help to reduce inflammation and boost blood flow in your muscles. The better your blood flow, the easier it’ll be for your body’s healing lymph fluid to access the small tears in your muscles you develop during working out.
Soreness after working out is never fun, especially when that soreness is outright painful. By following the tips above, you can help to fight back against workout pain so you can focus on your fitness routine without hurting yourself.
