How to relieve soreness after exercise?

Many people always experience muscle soreness after exercising, especially after strenuous exercise, such as playing football, basketball, or long-distance running. In fact, this phenomenon has a lot to do with not exercising much in daily life. Of course, the possibility of muscle strain or soft tissue injury cannot be ruled out. So how to relieve the soreness after exercise? Let me introduce it to you below!

Ways to relieve muscle soreness

There are many ways. Don't take a hot bath within one day after exercise. It is recommended to take a cold bath, warm water is also OK. Hot bath will aggravate the feeling of soreness. You need to replenish electrolytes and carbohydrates, as well as moderate massage.

1. Take a cold shower

Why are hot baths not recommended?

Since the muscle microstructure is damaged after exercise, hot baths or hot compresses will accelerate blood circulation in the injured muscles, thereby aggravating the damage to the muscle microstructure. If you take a hot bath after heavy weight training, you will definitely feel more sore the next day than if you take a cold bath. At the same time, hot baths accelerate the metabolism of muscle tissue. The training before the hot bath has already consumed a large amount of muscle glycogen in the muscles. Using a hot bath to continue to accelerate metabolism will increase fatigue and even lower blood sugar. Taking a hot bath after training will increase fatigue and make people feel drowsy, while taking a cold or warm bath will significantly reduce fatigue.

2. Appropriate cold compress

Immediately after high-intensity training, use ice packs to cool the target muscles. Generally, the cold compress lasts for 10 to 15 minutes. Place clothing or towels between the ice pack and the skin to prevent frostbite.

3. Nutritional supplements

You can drink sports drinks and eat more carbohydrates to restore muscle glycogen levels. It is okay to have a meal within 2 hours after exercise.

4. Strengthen stretching

It is mainly to stretch the sore muscles 12 hours after training, or when training other items the next day.

5. Massage if possible

Do not massage the target muscles and soft tissues immediately after training. Apply cold compress first. Remember our order, right? The reason is similar to the principle of not applying hot compress immediately after exercise. Immediate massage will increase the damage to the muscle microstructure, increase the damage to the body, and slow down the recovery.

The correct massage method requires massaging the muscles themselves. The principle is to squeeze, push and press along the direction of the muscles (here you need to master the knowledge of the muscle fiber direction of all large muscle groups). The effect of massage is relaxation and comfort of the whole body.

6. Don’t forget to apply hot compress

After the previous steps, some people who have not exercised for a long time and have poor lactic acid resistance may still feel soreness. At this time, hot compress can be used. Hot compress can speed up blood flow and clear lactic acid and other metabolism. Hot compress and cold compress are just different in temperature. Remember not to burn yourself. If possible, take a hot bath the next day after exercise.

7. Take 1-2 tablets of vitamin C orally, twice a day

Vitamin C promotes the synthesis of collagen in connective tissue, helps accelerate the repair of damaged tissue and relieve pain. People who regularly participate in sports need vitamin supplements more than ordinary people. This is because an adequate supply of vitamins can not only improve exercise effects and prevent sports-related diseases, but also allow muscles to fully recover and rest. Vitamin C participates in the biological oxidation process of muscle tissue, promotes material metabolism, etc., and plays an important role in improving the body's athletic ability.

The above is an introduction to some methods of relieving soreness. Generally speaking, muscle soreness after strenuous exercise is not a disease, but a normal reaction of the body's function, so proper rest is very necessary. You can take some appropriate methods to relieve pain. At the same time, you must strengthen nutrition. Of course, when exercising, you must pay attention to methods.