Here's how to start feeling better.
By Alexa Tucker
You know the feeling: that aching, trembling, just-got-hit-by-a-bus soreness that makes even rolling out of bed seem impossible. Yesterday’s workout was a doozy, and your body’s giving you a not-so-gentle reminder of how hard you went. Pushing yourself at the gym is a good thing, but your body needs a little extra TLC afterwards to get it feeling fresh and ready to go again.
Pete McCall, MS, CSCS, knows the feeling, and how to give your body the attention it deserves following a killer training session. “Doing two or three high-intensity classes [or workouts] a week is totally doable, but you shouldn’t be pushing yourself that hard every day,” he says. “Exercise is physical stress on the body, [and] your body adapts in the time after the exercise, not during the exercise.”
When you’re sore, it’s a sign that you’ve literally damaged the muscle fibers (though not necessarily in a bad way). While metabolic soreness occurs when you’ve used up all of the energy stores (glycogen) in your muscles, the kind that has you crazy sore the next day is known as mechanical soreness. “That’s when the actual protein structures [in the muscle fiber] have been damaged, and the repair process is when your body is using new muscle protein to rebuild.” This is when rest and recovery is especially important.
There’s a reason this soreness doesn’t happen immediately after a tough workout—you can thank DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness, for that. When white blood cells are doing their job repairing your taxed muscles, they release chemicals that set off pain receptors, and the process peaks about 36 hours after you sweat it out.
No matter how good your warm-up and cool-down are, sometimes, you just can’t avoid that stiff, sore feeling the day after. Here’s what to do (and what not to do) if you went crazy hard at yesterday’s workout:
1. Work it out, even when you think you can’t move…
It may sound counterintuitive, but working out the day after might be the best thing you can do to ease muscle soreness, unless you’re injured or experience sharp pains. “[Being sore] doesn’t mean take the day off, it just means do something different at a lower intensity,” says McCall (he recommends a barre class, restorative yoga, or a gentle jog). “It’s better to do a little something than not do anything,” he says, as it will help improve circulation.
2. …But plan to rest the following day.
You’ll actually feel better after getting active when you’re super sore, but two days after your intense workout should be when you give your bod a full break. “You do want to have a little bit of recovery and let the body heal,” says McCall. Take it a little easier the day immediately after, and use the second day to really relax.
3. And don’t make a habit of relying on painkillers.
McCall advises against it for a few reasons. For one, NSAIDs on a regular basis can be tough on your stomach, plus, OTC meds “dull down the pain sensation, so then you don’t know if you’re in pain,” says McCall. “Pain is the signal that something is not working right, so if you take stuff to mask it and you try to work out through it, that’s when you can get injured.” If you are going to reach for a painkiller, do it before bed, not before a workout, he says.
4. Not to mention, make sure you’re not actually injured.
When you’re super sore, it’s a good idea to give your body a once-over and make sure you’re not injured from your hardcore workout. “A little discomfort and soreness is fine, but if you wake up and you didn’t realize you did something to your ankle or your knee, that’s not something to work through,” says McCall. “If it lasts for more than two or three days it’s best to be checked by a doctor.” Two distinguishing factors between soreness and injury are sharpness and localization—if it’s just in one spot and it hurts when you put weight on it, don’t.
5. Hit the sauna for a little heat therapy.
While an ice bath works best to reduce inflammation immediately after a workout, 15 minutes in a dry sauna can help ease muscle soreness the day after. The increase in body temp elevates circulation, and anything that gets your blood pumping helps deliver fresh oxygen to your aching muscles, says McCall.
6. And foam roll for that hurts-so-good relief.
While foam rolling is best done every day (often before and after workouts), it’s especially important the day after exercise. “Foam rolling helps break up the tissue and improve the circulation,” says McCall. Think of foam rolling like DIY-ing a spa treatment. Plus, a foam roller is way cheaper than 50 minutes on a massage table.
7. Skip the recovery protein drink…
Protein shakes and recovery nutrition definitely have benefits right after a workout, but the day after, not so much. “Right after you train, your metabolism is elevated, your circulation is elevated, and your body is going to be more effective at using [recovery nutiriton].” While a protein and carb concoction can ease next-day soreness if taken within an hour of your workout, it won’t make a huge difference in terms of alleviating soreness if taken the next day, explains McCall.
8. …But you can pour yourself a glass of red wine (no, really!).
Too good to be true? Maybe not. While wine itself won’t necessarily help your muscles recover, it can help you chill out when your body’s wound up tight. “You wouldn’t want to go out and do shots, but anything that’s going to help you relax and wind down [will help recovery],” says McCall. Maybe refrain from polishing off the bottle right before bed—it can disturb sleep too close to bedtime. And a warm bath can also do the trick.
9. Finally, sleep it off like you mean it.
Told you those Zzz’s were important! That’s when the real magic happens in your muscles. “During REM cycles, that’s when your body will produce the hormones that it uses to repair the muscle tissue,” says McCall. It’s important to get a good night’s sleep the night of your workout, of course, but it still counts for something the following night.
Reprinted from Self.com
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