What to do if your muscles are sore after exercise

First of all, we must first distinguish the type of soreness. If it is acute soreness that occurs immediately after exercise, it will basically relieve itself after resting for ten or twenty minutes. If it is soreness that slowly appears after 12 to 48 hours after exercise, it is commonly referred to in the fitness circle as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which is essentially a muscle connection. It is a normal reaction to produce tiny tears and cause mild inflammation after receiving an unaccustomed load. It is a necessary process for the body to adapt to the intensity of exercise. Don't panic, it will basically subside on its own in 3 to 7 days. If you want to speed up the core relief, just help the muscles to speed up the blood supply and energy supply and reduce the inflammatory reaction. There is no need to try blind remedies.

I have been practicing for five years, and I have experienced soreness more times than I can count after lifting heavy weights. I have gone through many pitfalls. The most stupid time was when I had just finished 15 sets of deadlifts. I soaked in a 42-degree hot bath for half an hour that night. The next day, it hurt so much that I had to help me put on socks. It took me eight full days to recover. I later learned that 24 hours Micro-injuries to the muscles are still oozing out, and hot compresses will only aggravate swelling. At this time, wrap an ice pack with a towel and apply it to the sore area for 10 minutes, or take a bath at room temperature, which can reduce the subsequent soreness and swelling. Wait 24 hours before applying hot compresses or soaking in hot springs. This can really relax the muscles, make your sleep sound better, and recovery can be much faster.

Nowadays, there is a lot of debate about the effectiveness of stretching. Indeed, many academic studies have shown that static stretching immediately after exercise has little effect on relieving delayed onset soreness, and may even pull the muscle fibers that are already slightly damaged. However, my own feeling is that you should not do it immediately after exercise. Carry, rest for 20 minutes, wait for the heart rate to drop, and then do dynamic stretching for about 10 minutes, such as leg swings, shoulder rotations, and small lunges. The soreness will indeed be lighter the next day. This should be because it helps to take away some of the locally accumulated metabolic waste first.

Don’t believe the nonsense about drinking soda water to neutralize lactic acid. Lactic acid will be metabolized within 1 to 2 hours after you finish training. It has nothing to do with your soreness the next day. You can just take in more protein as usual. I always do it on the same day after training with heavy weights. , I will eat two more hard-boiled eggs and a piece of lean beef of about 150g. If I am too lazy to cook, I will make a spoonful of whey protein powder to give my muscles enough repair materials. It does take me 1 to 2 days to recover faster than eating takeout when I first started working out.

There is also the very controversial fascia gun. Some people say it is an IQ tax, and some people say it can cure all diseases. I use it myself as a more efficient relaxation tool. Don’t hit the bones, joints, and places with many blood vessels. Use a low setting to slowly hit the sore muscles for 3 to 5 minutes. , which is much more energy-saving than rubbing it with your hands. After running the half marathon last year, my calves were so swollen that it was difficult to even press the accelerator. I massaged the back of my calves for 10 minutes, and the tight, sore feeling disappeared that night. However, if you expect that 10 minutes of massage will eliminate the pain at all, then you are really overthinking.

In fact, if the soreness is not to the extent that it affects normal eating and sleeping, there is no need to worry too much. Do what you usually do. Walk slowly for 20 minutes and do some low-intensity activities when you have time. It will recover faster than lying down all day. My legs were so sore from training that I lay at home for three days, but the pain lasted for almost a week. Then I went downstairs for two walks the next day. I basically didn’t feel it in about four days. To put it bluntly, muscle soreness is a sign of your progress. As long as you don’t continue to push heavy weights and get injured.