Sport is known to be good – until you somehow overdo it. Then it takes revenge with nasty sore muscles. What to do? Was it a bit too much sport yesterday? We all know that painful feeling when the sore muscles make a loud noise the day after, and every movement becomes torture. The question remains: What helps against sore muscles?
Is there anything we can do about it, or do we have to sit out the pain patiently at the risk of wanting to skip the next workout? We’ll tell you five tips against sore muscles that are guaranteed to help!
What Are Sore Muscles?
Sore muscles always occur when trained muscle groups are otherwise neglected, for example, with unusual movement patterns. Or if too much weight has been used. The unfamiliar movements or the more significant weight lead to micro-injuries to the muscle fibers, also known as muscle soreness. Therefore, training with weight is better to increase slowly than to want too much too quickly. Otherwise, your body will thank you with painful sore muscles.
What Helps Against Sore Muscles?
There are plenty of tips that are supposed to help against sore muscles. Some help, others unfortunately even have the opposite effect.
A massage, for example, rarely makes sense and is often simply wrong. Because sometimes that makes it a lot worse! The massage stimulates the already injured muscle fibers even more. This can increase the pain.
Magnesium also does not help to avoid muscle soreness. Nevertheless, there is a good reason why magnesium is popular with athletes: Magnesium is a trace element that is involved in numerous metabolic processes in the body. Among other things, it ensures that the muscles are better supplied and at least promotes the regeneration of the muscles after training.
Five Tips And Home Remedies For Sore Muscles
A Full Relaxing Bath
A soothing bath helps against many complaints – including sore muscles. The heat improves blood flow to the skin and muscles, and the muscles relax a little. Special muscle relaxation baths help even better than a simple bubble bath. For example, special mixtures in the drugstore or the pharmacy with spruce needles or rosemary are said to help particularly well with sore and tense muscles.
Pleasant Warmth
A visit to the sauna has a similar effect to a hot bath. The muscles relax in the warm air, and the pain subsides a little. Also great: warming creams that stimulate blood circulation. A proven home remedy for sore muscles is horse ointments with arnica and mountain pine.
Light Training
No, sore muscles are no excuse for not exercising. Happy too soon. The sore muscles should not be trained away, but a light load is good for the muscles.
For example, if your muscles are sore from training with heavy weights, you should avoid this training for the next few days so that the aching muscle groups are not put under too much strain. However, easy cycling or running can relax the muscles.
Gentle Stretching
Gentle stretching can also relieve sore muscles. Since the body already hurts, we should only proceed very gently and make slow, light movements.
light Painkillers
You can relieve the muscle pain with ointments, creams, or light painkillers if the sore muscles are wrong. They don’t eliminate the sore muscles themselves, but at least they take away the nasty pain that it causes.
Prevent Muscle Soreness
So that it doesn’t come to that and you have to suffer from the torment of the nasty sore muscles, you should heed a few tips:
- After a long break from training, you should take it easy.
- When doing strength training, you should give your body enough time and slowly increase the weight.
- Don’t do without a warm-up or a cool-down.
- Gentle stretching can prevent sore muscles and strains.
In short: if you want to prevent muscle pain, sore muscles, or even injuries, you should avoid putting too much strain on your strengths (and joints) during sport. Just listen to your body!
Especially during major tournaments, you can see pictures of professional athletes standing in ice barrels and relaxing in a cold bath for a few minutes. Among other things, this is intended to prevent sore muscles. In addition, the regeneration time should be shortened. (For amateur athletes, it is better to inquire with your family doctor beforehand.)
Can Sore Muscles Hurt?
Many of us even find a gentle tug pleasant and a confirmation that we have trained diligently. But make no mistake, this is the first sign of sore muscles and that you have almost overdone it – the muscles are irritated.
Your training goal must not be sore muscles because that doesn’t bring you anything except pain. Therefore, the “train over it” is not recommended. If you don’t want to give up your training despite sore muscles, you must at least take it easy on the aching muscles and change your activity accordingly.
An active lifestyle with a balanced diet and plenty of exercises is still the best way to stay fit. However, it would be best if you did not overdo it. It is impossible to say generally when your muscles will be sore, as each body reacts differently. The content of this article is for informational purposes only and does not replace a diagnosis from a doctor. Contact your doctor or pharmacist if you have any uncertainties, urgent questions, or complaints.
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