5 Effective Ways to Manage Sore Muscles

Regular exercise is crucial for your well-being, emotional and physical health, but until you enjoy the fruits of your labor, it may come with discomfort, usually sore muscles. 

Feeling pain after exercise is common, but it shouldn’t become the reason to avoid training, but when its symptoms interfere with your workout and daily activities, you must find ways to lessen the pain.

Getting sore muscles after an intense workout or starting exercise after a long break is normal, and the condition is known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Per the American College of Sports Medicine, DOMS symptoms usually occur up at least 12 to 24 hours after exercise, and the common ones include:

• Tenderness to the touch
• Short-term reduction in strength of the affected muscles (lasting 3-5 days)
• Stiffness of the joints accompanied by a temporary decrease in a joint’s range of motion
• Swelling of the affected limbs

What Causes DOMS?

Any unaccustomed physical activity that requires your muscles to work harder than usual can cause microscopic tears in your muscle fibers, and usually, it’s not a reason to be concerned. Once your muscles experience damage, your body begins to repair it by increasing inflammation leading to the unpleasant side effect of your workout – delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Even if you work out regularly, once you increase its intensity level, you will feel sore, and it’s part of getting stronger, so although unpleasant, there’s no way around sore muscles. The good news is that your body can adapt to the increased activity of muscles over time to the point where you will no longer feel sore. Until that, you might be searching for ways to ease the symptoms, and here are some to help.

Hydrate 

Staying hydrated is crucial for your health – every part of your body needs water to function properly, and your muscles are no exception. Staying hydrated is also vital for helping your muscles recover from the damage and reducing DOMS symptoms.

According to the American Council on Exercise, you should drink water before, during, and after exercise in the following amounts:

• 17 to 20 ounces 2-3 hours before training.
• 8 ounces 20-30 minutes before exercise or during warm-up.
• 7 to 10 ounces at 10-20 minute intervals during exercise.
• 8 ounces no more than 30 minutes after the workout.

Because you don’t always feel thirsty even when your body needs water, it’s easy to forget to hydrate. That’s why it’s helpful to set up a reminder on your smartphone to drink water as recommended by the American Council on Exercise. And of course, don’t forget to pack your water bottle in your gym bag.

Do Not Stop Exercising

Sore muscles can become a good excuse to lay on a sofa, chill, and avoid workouts altogether, but it’s not the best strategy to deal with DOMS.

Although rest might give your muscles enough time to heal, you shouldn’t stop working out. If the pain makes it hard to exercise, opt for light exercises such as walking or swimming to get the blood moving to the sore muscles to deliver oxygen and nutrients required for recovery. 

Try a Hot Bath

A hot bath is equally relaxing for your body and mind and is an excellent remedy for sore muscles. The heat from the bath will increase the blood flow required to restore muscles by providing oxygen and necessary nutrients while also improving the elasticity of the connective tissues. To transform your bath into a relaxing therapy session, infuse it with natural ingredients like CBD bathbombs. For instance, His Grace Organics bathbombs combine CBD with lavender, known for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. By adding CBD bath bombs to your bathwater, you’ll be adding a layer of comfort and relaxation to your bath session.

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is crucial for all body processes, including sore muscle recovery; thus, getting enough sleep is one of the most effective ways to ease DOMS symptoms and speed up muscle repair. Poor sleep can decrease human growth hormone (HGH) in our bodies, which stimulates tissue growth and muscle repair. 

Try Topical CBD Products

Although topical products may not promote muscle tissue growth, they can provide instant pain relief by giving warmth or cool sensation in an affected area. Many professional athletes use CBD topicals to reduce discomfort, and these products have already stormed the wellness market. CBD topical products combine CBD with numerous natural ingredients to promote instant relief like menthol, eucalyptus, peppermint, or similar ingredients, while CBD interacts with CB1 and CB2 receptors in the skin cells. 

Will I keep Getting Sore Muscles?

Sore muscles indicate your body is adapting to a new activity, meaning that each time you perform the same exercise at the same intensity, you’ll experience less soreness and recover much faster than the last time. 

If you’re searching for CBD-infused topicals to help on the way, look into our inventory. At His Grace Organics, we make our hemp products, including topicals at GMP Certified and FDA registered facilities. All our products are healthy, effective, safe, and tested at third-party laboratories – thus, guaranteed in quality. 

Shop online at His Grace Organics.