Staying fit and healthy is always important, especially in times like these when you can’t visit your gym due to restrictions or take part in group sports with friends as you did before COVID-19 spread across the globe. Many people have taken to working out at home, either by purchasing some gym equipment that they can fit into their living space or following online videos.
While this is a great way to keep in shape, you also need to make sure you’re not left feeling sore and aching after you’ve worked up a sweat, so here are a few tips to remind you how to reduce muscle pain after your workouts.
Warm-Up/Warm Down
It might be tempting just to throw yourself into a workout routine straight away, especially if you’re trying to fit it into a tight time-slot before work or during your lunch break. However, if you want to avoid seizing up and struggling to move afterward, always make time for a warm-up and a warm down. Your muscles need to be stretched and eased into a strenuous workout, otherwise you’ll end up spraining yourself or developing microtears in your muscles, leading to inflammation and discomfort. Don’t skip this part of the workout, it’s too important.
Take It Easy
The whole point of a workout is to push yourself, get in some good cardio and to strengthen your body. It’s good to try and beat your personal best, but make sure you’re not throwing yourself in the deep end too soon, especially if you’ve just started to get into regular exercise or a new workout routine. You need to build up your strength gradually over time so your body gets used to doing more physical activity. Remember to take it easy and as you get more comfortable with your workouts, then to introduce more challenging exercises bit by bit.
Use Supports
If you’re finding yourself experiencing repetitive strain in a particular area, exercising with a specialist support is a good idea. This way you can still get in your workouts, but it’s not putting as much pressure on the problem area. For example, if you’ve had an aching elbow or felt stiffness in it, purchasing an elbow support sleeve like this one from Bearhug will help to reduce inflammation, but is still comfortable enough for you to continue your workout. You can also get the same kind of supports for your wrists, knees, or thighs if these are your problem areas.
Ice Pack
If you’ve noticed swelling and pain as soon as you’ve finished your workout, apply an ice pack to the area. This will help to reduce the swelling and aid your recovery. Try to keep the ice pack there for about 15-minutes for the best results, and wrap it in a towel to make it more comfortable against your skin.
Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but if you’re finding yourself in pain after workouts it can put you off your routine. Remember to use these tips to help you reduce the chance of unnecessary aches and pains post-workout and keep you on top of your game.
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Thanks for reading and y’all stay dandy.
-Diego
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