How to get rid of muscle soreness? – methods 

You just started running, tried new exercises, lengthened your workout, and changed your pace. You go home and feel tired, and the next day you get up and…feel pain in many parts of your body. This is nothing more than the soreness that often plagues athletes who return to running after a long break or change something in their training. 

After a grueling workout, you feel like you’ve put a lot of energy into it. After running there will sometimes be pain, but this is normal. However, you don’t have to suffer all this time. There are several ways to make it hurt less. In this article, I’ll give you tips on how to get rid of sore muscles, or at least relieve your suffering. Read on!

Muscle soreness – what are they? 

Before we get into ways to deal with this problem, let’s focus on what soreness is. How do they form and why do they occur after a workout? 

Soreness is micro-injuries to muscles that occur during intense workouts or other physical exertion. Otherwise known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). However, don’t worry, I know that such damage hurts, but they are good for your body.

“What? How can muscle damage be good for me?”

As I mentioned earlier – these are small micro-injuries. When they heal, muscle tissue grows in excess – so your muscles become stronger. Therefore, if you start exercising regularly, you have less and less to contend with soreness the next day. 

How to get rid of muscle soreness? What’s important?

You get up in the morning and feel that it’s going to be hard to get out of bed, all because of pain – or soreness – in various parts of the body. Most often in the legs, buttocks, or abdomen. 

The soreness usually lasts for 3 days. Sometimes, however, it happens that the pain remains and you feel it even for a week. If you want to get back to training quickly, the pain certainly won’t help you. 

Before you do anything about it, you need to know that even if you use all the methods there for “curing” soreness faster, there is no guarantee that it will disappear in 24 hours. All this is because every body is different, or more precisely, its regenerative abilities. 

How quickly you get rid of soreness relates to your lifestyle. Some people rest between workouts, and have time to recover. Others don’t stop, exercise despite the pain and have a bad diet. Of course, it’s good if you’re in the first group. This will surely make your recovery from hard and intense training go much better. 

The pain associated with sourdough is not pleasant, but there are good sides to it, too. You will suffer now, and later, with each workout, the pain will get less and less. The longer you train, the less often DOMS will torment you. Soreness is a sign that you’ve done a really good and grueling workout. This will make your muscles stronger. 

Reduce your soreness – two important workouts 

What I’m going to tell you is something that you know and it will be nothing new, but some people forget about it or think it’s not important for a good and effective workout – warm-up and stretching. As the warm-up is done by every runner (I hope), stretching is not talked about as much, and it is also important and affects the reduction of soreness in the body. All you need is 10 minutes before and after your workout!  

Warming up makes the temperature of the whole body rise, and thus the muscles become more flexible. This makes running much more enjoyable, plus you lower the risk of injury. What’s more, your muscles feel much better the next day. 

And what about stretching? With this short workout, you make your muscles return to their original shape. What’s more, you make it easier for your body to recover. Additionally, think about cooling down your body. Once you’ve finished your workout, start running slower and slower until you move to a slow walk or even a stroll. Then do some stretching exercises.

Want to deal with soreness? Be sure to have a good diet! 

To get rid of soreness in muscles and feel better the next day, you should take care of how you eat every day. A proper diet is a key to success not only in the fight to lose weight but also in the fight against soreness. 

To get rid of soreness, in your diet, you should pay attention to: 

• a daily serving of vegetables and fruits, 
• add fish to your diet, which is full of omega-3s,
• choose high-protein products,
• provide vitamin B to the body – thanks to giblets (I know, it doesn’t sound good, but it’s worth it),
• choose cato products, 
• try to eat wholegrain products, 
• add spices to dishes that have anti-inflammatory effects, e.g. turmeric, ginger, rosemary.

What about sweet snacks? Of course, they can appear in your diet, but only as a supplement. Have lunch first, and then for dessert enjoy a delicious cookie or eat a bar of chocolate.

Struggling with soreness? Think about protein! 

The diet of any active person can not lack protein. It is it that is the most important building block of the body. You should consume it if you spend time actively and do various sports. 

And how much should you give to your diet? It all depends on how much and how intensively you exercise. Your lifestyle is also important. It is believed that if you are engaged in sports then you should have about 1,2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight in your diet.

If the soreness doesn’t stop, try increasing the amount of protein in your diet – even up to 1.5 grams. This will help you recover faster. Of course, this is the optimal number, and as I mentioned earlier, every body is different. You will have to find for yourself the ideal amount of protein that will make your recovery good and get rid of pain from overloaded muscles. 

So why is it important to eat the right amount of protein? For soreness not to bother you, you need to provide your muscles with the building material – that is, protein. This will help your muscles deal with micro-damage faster, and you will be back to full strength.

How to help muscle soreness? Eat the right meal 

To get back to full strength quickly, you need to think not only about your workout but also about the right meal to eat right after running. What should such a meal contain?

• carbohydrates – are very important, because it is thanks to them that muscle glycogen is renewed, which is the basic “fuel” that gives your muscles energy to work hard during exercise.
• protein – about 20 grams of protein will help rebuild muscles. After an intense workout, such an amount will be immediately transported to the muscles. 

These two elements are the most important, as they will help you recover faster. However, you must also remember to hydrate properly during your meal and the whole day. Drink water or a milkshake. 

There is also cherry juice. You should try and drink it after training. Studies have proven that the antioxidants in the juice relieve inflammation, making it easier for muscles to recover. You can also test on yourself with other juices – especially a lot of antioxidants from the same group as in cherries (anthocyanins) have chokeberry and black currant juices.

Remember! Even if you run in the evening, eat a well-balanced snack that has protein and carbohydrates in it. This will help you get up in the morning in a good mood, and the pain in your muscles will not bother you as much.

Get a massage and help your muscles

A good massage of sore muscles will certainly help you, at least to some extent, deal with their pain. Why is it worth performing it? 

• gives relief to tense muscles – relaxes them,
• improves blood flow – improves the circulatory system
• reduces pain in the muscles, 
• increases range of motion, 
• speeds up recovery after training,
• eliminates cramps.

You can massage your muscles with your hands, but a roller, massage balls, or a special massage gun will also be a good way. You will feel relief after the treatment. For runners, muscle rolling will be the best way – you will relieve inflammation, and more blood will flow to the relaxed muscles.

Easy exercises to get rid of soreness 

Surely you know that if your muscles hurt you should rest – relaxation is your ally. However, rest is not just lying down, reading a book, or watching TV. If your soreness is not that painful, you may be tempted to do some light exercise – I emphasize LIGHT. Go for a walk, slow jog, and do some stretching exercises.

Get rid of muscle soreness thanks to sleep

How to reduce muscle soreness? The answer to this question is the right amount of sleep. Many people are sleeping fewer and fewer hours – busy lifestyles, and many responsibilities. 

How much sleep? At least 7 hours. You can also take a nap during the day to recuperate. You need to keep in mind that no energy drinks, coffee, or wraps can replace sleep. 

“All right, but what is the connection between sourdough and sleep?”

During sleep, the body produces the most growth hormone. Growth hormone is responsible for the growth of all tissues. During the deepest phase of sleep, its levels rocket to heights, allowing muscles to recover faster than during the rest of the day.

When you sleep, it’s not just the length of your sleep that matters, but also its quality. How to get better sleep? Here are some hints: 

• ventilate the room before going to bed – it only takes a few minutes to let fresh air in, 
• don’t drink coffee in the evening – you can have your last coffee around 4 PM, this will help you fall asleep better and faster, 
• match your bedding to the season – choose thinner fabrics in summer and thicker fabrics in winter, which will make you sleep comfortably,
• eat dinner 2h before you go to bed, not later – if you eat before going to bed itself, your stomach will work and it will be harder to fall asleep,
• do an intensive workout at least 3h before bedtime – by then the body will have calmed down, 
• relaxation exercises – can help you relax, forget about stress and go to bed in peace, 
• reduce stress – if possible, I know that it’s a hard thing to do… Feel free to cooperate with psychologist or psychotherapies during stressful moments in your life. You can also try anti-stress supplements, like ashwagandha, reishi mushroom or HHC cannabinoid.

The conclusion of this point is one – get enough sleep, and this will help you deal with soreness in one day after an intense and exhausting workout.

Bathing and fighting sore muscles 

You can deal with soreness, thanks to baths. They will contribute to a quick recovery, which will help you feel better after training. 

• hot bath – relaxes muscles, accelerates blood flow through tissues
• cool shower – has an analgesic effect, and the coolness promotes recovery
• alternating showers – with cold and warm water – to combine the benefits of both temperatures

Instead of a bath, you can also use warm and cold compresses. These should be applied to the areas that bother you the most and you already feel that tomorrow you may have a problem with these muscles. 

Remember – just because, for example, a hot bath doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t mean that the rest of the methods are also bad. You have to find what works best for you.

Clothing for advanced runners the solution to soreness in muscles?

If you’re a runner who does long distances and you’re already an advanced athlete, then you may be tempted to get specialized sportswear to help negate soreness:

• technical compression garments, 
• compression bands 
• compression socks, 
• recovery flip-flops.

When choosing this type of clothing, you have to reckon with the cost. However, sometimes it is worth spending the money to feel better later!

If you run short distances then you may not feel their effects. The case is different, however, when you run distances of more than 12 miles. Any support will be important with a higher training load. 

So what are the advantages of compression garments? Take a quick look: 

• improve blood circulation in the blood vessels, 
• cushions vibration and shock during workouts, 
• better oxygenation of muscles, 
• protection against injuries.

It is worth investing in them if you want to feel comfortable during long and grueling runs.

Soreness in muscles vs pain pills

Don’t even look toward painkillers. Taking medication to negate muscle pain is the worst thing you can do. 

Ok, you may stop feeling less pain, but because of this, you won’t know if you’re ready for more training anymore. What’s more, sometimes soreness isn’t soreness, but signals of other injuries. 

Some people take medication and then go for a workout – again, an intense one. Such tactics can lead to major injuries and even more muscle soreness. Use the above methods of dealing with soreness, and don’t even think about painkillers.

How to get rid of muscle soreness? Now you know! I’ve presented you with a few ways that will help you. There were some, also it is worth summarizing everything. 

• warm-up and stretching, 
• protein in the diet, 
• a well-balanced meal,
• proper diet, 
• bath or compresses (cold, warm), 
• massage, 
• rest – sleep! 
• light physical activity, 
• compression garments. 

Wow, there i a lot, but that’s a good thing. This way you can try these ways and choose the one that works best for your sore muscles. Every body is different – a hot bath will work best for one person, and a massage for another. Get a cure for your sore muscles!