Hey guys! Welcome back to Sunkissed Lex! I decided to write today’s post because I recently started adding weight-lifting into my workout routine, and while I love how strong it makes me feel, I have also been more sore the last few weeks than I’ve ever been before. I wanted to know if this was normal, and also if there were any ways to speed the process up a bit (there’s only so many times I can slowly lower myself down onto the toilet, y’know?) So I did some research, and I thought after last week’s post on starting a new workout routine, some of you might need this information as well!
One key thing I found in my research is that it is completely normal to be sore after a workout. Soreness happens when you work or move your muscles in a way they aren’t used to; this causes microscopic damage to your muscle fibers, which can cause soreness. When your muscle fibers heal, the muscle will be ever-so-slightly stronger. A bit of muscle soreness is just an indication that you’ve worked your muscles more than they’re used to, and isn’t anything to worry about.
You do have to be careful not to push your body too hard, too fast though; you can cause damage to your muscle fibers that will take a lot more than a couple days to heal. This is why you should always consult with a doctor before beginning an exercise regimen, and make sure to take your rest days.
Okay, so now that you have a bit of background information on muscle soreness, here are some tips that can help you recover faster!
1. Drink plenty of water
We all know it’s important to stay hydrated as you workout, but it’s also super important to stay hydrated after your workout. You’re body sends water to help your muscles recover, and therefore you need to drink lots of it in order to be able to stay hydrated and heal your muscles. The recovery process is more painful if you don’t have enough water in your body.
2. Stretch (before and after a workout)
Stretching can help increase circulation, help realign muscles, increase range of motion, and reduce risk of ongoing aches and pains. If you stretch before a workout it will help prevent injury through increased range of motion, and stretching after will help prevent soreness by increasing circulation and helping stretch out tight muscles.
3. Consume plenty of protein
According to azcentral, “During the workout, the body naturally directs the energy and amino acids to support muscle contractions and not protein synthesis. After a workout, the muscles go through a recovery phase. The recovery phase is when the muscle are repaired. Energy and amino acids are used in protein synthesis, which helps to repair the muscles. The muscle tears that occur during the workout require protein for restoration.” Lean meats such as turkey, chicken, and fish have tons of protein and hardly any fat; you can also try protein shakes, nuts, or eggs if you are vegetarian.
4. Consume plenty of carbohydrates
According to ACTIVE, “without a source of carbohydrates post-workout, your body will not be able to produce insulin, the hormone that drives muscle building. Carbohydrates also help to replace muscle and liver glycogen to refuel your energy stores.” I personally love to eat a banana right before a workout, and after is when I’ll have pasta or rice (with some type of protein).
5. Ice pack/ice bath
Icing a sore area will help reduce inflammation, which will help with immediate relief of sore muscles. I usually have an ice pack wrapped in a towel will put it on the sore area for about 15 minutes. If my whole body is really sore, I’ll take an ice bath, but this is pretty rare. If I do feel the need, I only stay in for 5 minutes at most, and that’s usually enough time to get the effect.
6. Heating pad/ hot bath
Heat helps with circulation, which will in turn help with a speedier recovery. Using a heating pad for 15 minutes on a sore area will help, or taking a warm bath (with epsom salts, if you have them). This is also just a great way to relax your muscles and keep them from getting tight, which will make moving easier.
7. Day after walking
Going for a walk the day after a tough workout can help increase circulation, which will help the muscles heal faster. It also helps warm up your muscles, which will make it easier to stretch and move around.
8. Massage/Foam Roll
Rubbing your muscles will help reduce inflammation, which will help speed up the recovery process. You can use your hands to rub your muscles, or you can try foam rolling. I use my hands for really tender areas (like my calves) and a foam roller for my glutes, upper back, and hamstrings. I have noticed a substantial difference in recovery time since I started foam rolling after a workout.
9. Rest
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; rest days are just as important as workout days. If you work your muscles too often, you won’t get the benefits of working out that you want, and it makes it much more likely to get an injury. Take your rest days seriously; if it really bothers you to do nothing, then take a relaxing walk through the park, or do some light stretching. Just don’t do anything that will put strain on your muscles; they need adequate time to recover.
I hope this post is helpful for you! I know it can suck when your body is always sore, and it makes it harder to workout and get motivated when your muscles are aching, and these tips have really helped me only stay sore for a day or two. Just remember not to overdo it! Thank you so much for reading! Let me know if these tips were helpful in the comment section, and be sure to subscribe if you want to see more posts like this in the future!
I’m always amazed at the number of people who don’t warm up and warm down before strenuous exercise. It’s asking for trouble! I hadn’t come across foam rolling before though, thank you, that looks fun 🙂
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I know! Injuries are much more likely to happen when you don’t warm up. Foam rolling is awesome! It hurts, but in a good way. It’s one of the best ways to loosen up your muscles!
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I wont lie, I probably don’t warm up for as long as I should and then I am in agony for my next work out! I need to actually add it to my workout more. I’m really actively improving my exercise right now so this is really helpful!
Rosie
loverosiee.co.uk
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I think it would definitely help with soreness if you to have a good warm up! That’s great that you are working out more! I’m glad this was helpful!
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Recovery seems to be the only topic that nobody seems to be educated on. Everyone has fancy workouts and routines but hardly any of my clients have any idea on how to perform recovery. We need to spread the message more often!
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Yeah, I learned a bit about it when I was in high school, but it wasn’t what we focused on. It’s honestly just as important as the workout itself! It’s definitely important to get the information out there for people
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Looks like you and I are both doing our best to make this happen. Keep spreading the good word!
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This is so helpful! Thank you for sharing your tips, I will definitely keep these in mind! Great post! 🙂
melissakacar.blogspot.com
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Of course, I’m glad they could help! 🙂
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An excellent resource which I found to be interesting! Thanks for sharing.
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No problem! I’m glad you found it interesting!
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I love all of your posts!! So informative and helpful! Seriously- keep up the great work!
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Thank you, that means so much! 🙂
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How does insulin help with muscle growth? I have reactive hypoglycaemia, so I have to be careful with carbs. Would keto and a fat diet do the same, as long as your insulin levels stay high enough?
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This is a great question, I’m so glad you asked! Insulin helps deliver nutrients into the muscle cells, which promotes insulin synthesis. A combination of carbohydrates and protein is important after working out because it helps the muscle tissues repair themselves. I don’t know much about reactive hypoglycemia, but from what I understand, it causes your body to produce excessive amounts of insulin after eating, which means bulking up on carbs and protein probably isn’t necessary. I’d say stick with the typical diet your doctor recommends as long as your insulin levels stay high enough to be able to fuel your body and help repair your muscles after you workout!
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I don’t do much in the way of weight training but I’m a long distance runner (marathon training) so I can relate to a lot of this! A decent amount of carbs and a foam roll are both 100% essential, as well as a good cool down/ stretching routine x
Sophie
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Yeah, weight training is definitely not the only thing that can make you sore, haha. Marathon running can be even more strenuous on your body! I’m glad to hear that you have also found carbs, stretching, and foam rolling essential! Makes me feel like I’m on the right track!
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I really need to warm up more often. I always wonder why my legs get sore. But I do try to do yoga throughout the week so that helps. 😊🌿
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Yoga is amazing for flexibility and keeping your muscles loose! Warm ups would still be beneficial immediately before working out, but yoga is definitely a great way to help your muscles throughout the week!
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Thank you for this! I recently started working out again and I have bad ankles. It makes me afraid to run(which I love doing). Time to bust out the foam roller again!
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I have a bad ankle that makes it difficult for me to run as well. I have an ankle brace that I wear when it really bothers me, and investing in a decent pair of running shoes is also super helpful! And making sure to warm them up before your run is a must! Thank you so much for reading!
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Wow, I am so excited to read that carbohydrates are okay! I am going to have to rethink my who pre- and post-workout routine. Thanks for sharing these great ideas. 🙂
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Carbs are more than okay, they are necessary for proper bodily function! They just have a bad rep because of diet culture, but unless you have certain health conditions (like epilepsy or Type 2 diabetes), carbs are definitely not anything to be afraid of. Thank you so much for stopping by, I really appreciate it!
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Stretching is sooooo simple but so important and most people forget that, even myself sometimes! Also water is a great thing for before and after exercise.
🌿 Marissa Belle × marsybun.com 🌿
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Yeah, I always used to do it in all my high school sports, but when I got out of high school I just stopped doing it! When I added it back into my routine it made a world of a difference for my recovery time!
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This is a great and really informative post! Thank you!
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These are great tips! I recently upped the weight on a machine I used in the gym and my legs were so sore the next day! I found walking it out and stretching really helped.
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Yeah, anything to keep those muscles from tensing up! The good thing is that your body will adjust to that added weight pretty quickly! Thank you for reading!
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It is so important to recover properly after a workout. I found stretching after is helpful with breaking down the acid buildup. YESSS on foam rolling!!! Thanks for sharing all of these great recovery tips.
Nancy ✨ exquisitely.me
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I exercise quite a lot and I’m sore most of the time. I find that keeping hydrated and foam rolling keeps me going. These are great tips though 🙂 What do you think about supplements like Tumeric which supposedly reduces inflammation in the body?
All the best, Michelle (michellesclutterbox.com)
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I have tried taking turmeric, and I didn’t notice much of a difference in my muscles, but I did notice it helped my digestion! So I definitely think it has it’s benefits with inflammation, and I am definitely not opposed to adding it into a regime. Just make sure to look up the correct amount to take so you’re not overdoing it!
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