How to Reduce Pain and Soreness in Muscles After Exercise or Workout

Working out hard can take a toll on your body especially if you are a beginner. No matter if you are working out under the guidance of a personal trainer in South London or anywhere in the world, getting sore muscles a day or two after a pretty intensive workout/rigorous exercise is normal. It happens with people most often when they are working out the first time or after a long time, increasing their exercise intensity, changing their fitness routine, or starting a new sport or workout regime.

[Note: If you are experiencing prolonged muscle pain after a workout, it might indicate a serious muscle injury. In this case, you must see your physiotherapist or healthcare practitioner and discuss the issue. If needed, complete your treatment before you start working out again.]

When your muscles get sore after a workout, it means they are saying that they need time to recover. Fortunately, when your body gets accustomed to the new exercise or workout regime, the muscle soreness will slowly reduce and disappear in two or three days.

How long does muscle soreness last?

The sore muscles that are results of rigorous workouts and exercises will usually recover in 24 to 48 hours of rest. But, if your muscle pain doesn’t go away even after a few days of rest or get even worse, it, most likely, means you have a serious muscle injury.

Severe muscle pain during a workout might also be caused by muscle strain or injury. If your muscle pain is accompanied by breathing difficulty, fever, muscle weakness, or stiff neck, don’t delay to see your doctor.

What are the ways to reduce general muscle soreness and pain after an exercise or workout?

Several ways are there to help you relieve muscle pain and soreness. You can try those which you are most comfortable with. Some of them are:

Use an ice/heat pack

If you have sustained an acute injury or you are noticing swelling in the joint or muscle area and it feels warm, then wrap an ice pack in a thin towel and place it on the sore muscles for about 15 minutes. However, if there is no swelling and there is just soreness in your muscles, then you should apply a heat pack for 15 minutes to increase blood circulation.

Massage therapy

Massage can be a great way to help relax your sore muscles. It is one of the most popular ways to feel relaxed and reduce muscle soreness among sports players and athletes.

Stretch a bit

After a rigorous workout or exercise session, it is good to stretch your muscles for around 10 minutes to prevent or reduce muscle soreness. Before exercising, remember to warm up your body with simple stretches and movement, such as arm swings and marching on the spot.

Continue with Light Exercise

When you have sore muscles after a workout, don’t stop the workout completely. The fact that you are experiencing sore muscles after a workout is a sign that your muscles have been stretched and will slowly get stronger. So, keep using your muscles with light activities such as walking and swimming. Plus, this way, you will also speed up the elimination of lactic acid buildup.

There are so many ways to help with sore muscles and you should also discuss it with your personal trainer for more personalized advice. Since they are working with you personally, they know you more and understand your body issues and requirements deeply. So, their advice would be more precise and helpful than following random suggestions.