How to Soothe Soreness After Exercise

Soreness after exercise typically happens 24-48 hours after. The soreness happens because when you work out, you create micro-tears in the muscle, which makes you sore. The soreness doesn’t last forever because your body works to repair the muscle. To help reduce the soreness, you can get a massage, soak in hot water, and hydrate.

Get a Massage

A massage can help soothe muscle soreness because the physical rubbing motion stimulates a nerve called the vagus nerve that releases a chemical that helps your body release endorphins, which are the feel-good hormones. This can help you feel better and helps play a role in recovery. 

Massage will also help increase circulation to the sore areas and help flush out inflammation that causes soreness created by working the muscle. Massage also works on a cellular level to increase mitochondria, which are responsible for cellular energy.

Soak in Hot Water

Sitting in a hot tub can help reduce inflammation and muscle tension. Inflammation that causes soreness in the muscle comes from the micro-tears in the muscle as you work it hard or introduce new exercises. The inflammation is how your body tries to repair the muscle. 

A little bit of inflammation is ok; however, you can reduce it when you soak in hot water because of increased blood flow which can flush out waste products. Reducing muscle tension will help your muscles relax, which not only decreases your soreness by helping you stretch and increase flexibility.

Stay Hydrated

Hydration plays an important role in sore muscles because it influences the fluid in your body, including your muscles. When you drink water, the fluid can help to ease inflammation and flush toxins or waste products that are in your body. Water can also help bring nutrients to the muscles. To help you stay hydrated, you should make sure to drink water throughout the day and especially during and after your exercise. A good way to know if you are hydrated is to check the color of your urine. A pale-yellow color will indicate that you are hydrated.

While soreness isn’t fun, it is a natural response your body has to exercise. Soreness can often turn people away from exercising, but just know that your body will get used to it and be less sore over time. Managing the soreness can help you get back to exercise and keep consistent.

Did you enjoy this article? Here’s more to read: What You Need For The Perfect Morning Work Out.