Sore Muscles? Make them Feel Better Now
Having sore muscles can be really inconvenient and debilitating. You likely don’t want to take a lot of medications, so here are some ways to make sore muscles feel better without them.
Understand Sore Muscles
Before you can address your sore muscles, it is important to understand why they become sore in the first place. Muscles get sore when microtears break down in the muscle fibers due to the strain of exercise. This is completely normal and, while the muscles are healing with protein, they can feel uncomfortable.
Drink Plenty of Water
Staying hydrated is one of the most important parts to promoting natural healing, so drinking plenty of water is essential for recovery. This helps to keep the body’s tissues, including muscle tissues, hydrated and prevents dehydration.
Take Time to Rest
When muscles are strained, it’s important to take time to rest and let your muscles recover. Even light stretching or taking a break from strenuous activities for a day or two can be beneficial and help your body recover from the strain.
Be Mindful of Your Workouts
While exercise is important for many reasons, it is essential to remember to not overdo it. If you are feeling strain or your muscles are feeling sore while working out, it is important to stop and rest before doing any more strenuous exercise.
Adjust Your Diet
Adjusting your diet can also help to address muscle soreness. Eating a balanced diet full of antioxidants, healthy fats, and lean proteins is essential for proper tissue recovery. Fresh vegetables and fruits are particularly important for providing your body with antioxidants and provide inflammation reduction.
Apply Heat or Cold
Applying heat or cold to sore muscles is also a great way to relive soreness and can be done in the form of a heating pad, a cold pack, a hot shower, or a jacuzzi. Applying heat or cold can help to relieve the soreness and promote better blood circulation.
Get a Massage
Having a massage is a great way to relieve muscle soreness or tension. Massages help promote better blood circulation, improve flexibility, and relieve discomfort. Regular massages can also help to promote better overall muscle health and can prevent muscles from becoming overly sore.
Try Essential Oils
Essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus, chamomile, and lemon can be very beneficial in relieving sore muscles. Applying essential oils topically and/or through a diffuser can help to increase circulation and can help to reduce inflammation, improve sleep, and relax the body and mind.
Go for a Swim
Swimming is a great way to restore muscle health and is an effective way to increase blood circulation and reduce muscle soreness. Swimming works out muscles in a non-weight bearing way and can be easier on the body than other forms of exercise.
Stretch
Stretching is also important for maintaining muscle health and for relieving discomfort. Stretching can help to reduce soreness and make muscles more flexible and can prevent future soreness. Stretching can also help to stimulate blood flow into the muscle and promote repair.
Having sore muscles can be really uncomfortable, but it is completely normal. To make your muscles feel better without medications, it’s essential to stay hydrated, take time to rest, adjust your diet, and apply heat or cold to the muscles. Massages, essential oils, swimming, and stretching are also all great ways to make sore muscles feel better.
