WHAT TO DO IF MUSCLES HURT AFTER TRAINING?
Why do muscles hurt after exercise?
Sometimes after physical exertion, we experience pain. Most often this happens the next day after an active workout, although in some cases the peak of discomfort occurs on the second or third day after class. As a rule, muscles hurt in beginners, but even those who have been fond of sports and fitness for a long time are still not immune from muscle pain. The fact is that during active training we get microtrauma. They are safe for our health, but the body reacts to them with pain. In this case, this is good news, because it is as a result of the healing of muscle micro-tears that an increase in the volume and weight of the muscles occurs.
How to reduce muscle pain?
Professional trainers recommend several ways to relieve muscle pain.
- After a workout, you can go to the sauna or bath: steam rooms are now available at many fitness clubs (for example, the La Salute premium fitness club offers its guests not only saunas, but also unique Roman baths). Heat will have a beneficial effect on the muscles and help to relax. If this is not possible, a warm (but not hot!) bath is also suitable, in which it will not be superfluous to add sea salt.
- A massage with essential oils, such as rosemary, will help relieve pain. The main thing is not to get carried away: the pressure should be moderate,
- If you are experiencing very severe muscle pain, pain-relieving ointments and creams that you can buy at a pharmacy will come to the rescue.
But muscle pain can not only be cured, it can be prevented. Before training, do not ignore the warm-up, and after training, do stretching. Proper nutrition can also play an important role: try to eat more nuts and legumes. But sweets and meat are best avoided if possible. Muscle pain can be aggravated by stress, so try to come to class in a calm state and in a good mood. And, of course, work out under the guidance of an experienced trainer who will help you choose the optimal degree of load.
Is muscle pain worth it?
Some sports and fitness enthusiasts find muscle pain pleasant: for them, this is evidence that they have done a great job. If the pain does not cause you much discomfort, then it is quite possible to tolerate it. It is worth taking action only if discomfort throughout the body greatly interferes with you. By the way, if after a workout you don’t experience muscle pain at all, this may mean the wrong approach to training. Probably, the load is too weak and familiar to your body.
Can you exercise if your muscles hurt?
If your muscles are sore, it means that they have not yet recovered from the previous workout. It is not worth giving them an extra load just yet. However, skipping a trip to the fitness room is not at all necessary: in training, you can simply work out a different muscle group or reduce the load. Ask the trainer to pick up a set of exercises for you that will improve blood flow. This will help the muscles recover faster.