We all know that working out hard and staying active has lots of health benefits. It can really change our bodies for the better and make us feel great. But sometimes, all this hard work can lead to some bothersome side effects. Here are some handy tips to help you deal with sore muscles!
If you’re someone who exercises often, you’ve probably felt your muscles getting tight from time to time. This can happen in both your upper and lower body and can even become a bit painful or annoying.
What’s worse, if you ignore these tight muscles, they can mess with your movement and even lead to injuries. Tight muscles can also affect your performance, making it harder to work out, which in turn can slow down your muscle growth and strength gains.
But don’t worry, there are plenty of ways to ease that muscle tension. Doing so can help you move better, feel less pain, and even boost your muscle growth and strength.
Here are seven top ways to relax and treat sore muscles:
1. **Massage:** One of the most straightforward solutions is getting a deep tissue or remedial massage. This can help loosen up tight muscles and break down adhesions in the muscle tissue caused by being too sedentary. Benefits include better flexibility, a wider range of motion, improved muscle quality, and reduced tightness. Massages also help with muscle recovery and can make you feel better right away. Plus, the positive effects can last for weeks!
2. **Self-Myofascial Release (SMR):** This is a type of self-massage you perform using tools like foam rollers, lacrosse balls, or even barbells. SMR can improve your flexibility and muscle quality by decreasing the neural signals that keep your muscles tight. While it’s slightly less effective than getting a professional massage, it has the big advantage of being free!
3. **Deep Breathing:** Engaging in controlled deep breathing can activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which reduces muscle tension. Try this right after working out: lie down with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Breathe in for four seconds, then out for four seconds, focusing on breathing deep into your stomach. Do this for 20-25 breaths.
4. **Stretching:** Stretching is a great way to increase your flexibility and reduce muscle tightness, especially if you do it right after exercising when your muscles are warm. Hold each stretch for 30 to 60 seconds for the best results. Focus on commonly tight muscle groups like your quads, hip flexors, calves, pecs, and lats.
5. **Light Aerobic Activity:** On your rest days, light aerobic activities such as walking or cycling can help promote blood flow to your muscles and increase their temperature. This promotes recovery and improves muscle flexibility, which reduces tightness and enhances tissue quality. Keep it light—think of a gentle walk, ride, or jog, not intense interval training or hill sprints.
6. **Sleep:** Getting enough sleep is crucial for both mental and physical recovery. Lack of sleep can lead to poorer muscle tissue quality and increased tightness. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night to help your body recover well from exercise, leading to better flexibility and range of motion.
7. **Green Tea:** While often praised for its weight management and cognitive benefits, green tea also has positive effects on muscle tissue. It contains L-theanine, an amino acid that increases the levels of dopamine and serotonin. These hormones help relax muscle tissue by reducing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which can lead to significant reductions in muscle tightness and improvements in flexibility.
Muscle tightness is an almost inevitable part of regular exercise, but you can greatly reduce it by using the methods we’ve discussed. Regular massages or self-myofascial release, stretching, deep breathing, quality sleep, low-intensity activities, and drinking green tea can all contribute to less muscle tension and better overall muscle quality.
Give these methods a try and see if they help decrease your muscle tension!