4 Ways to Prevent Soreness After You Exercise
Are you ever tempted to skip your workout because you dread the sore, achy muscles you’ll be dealing with later? You’re not alone! Extreme soreness after exercising can make it tough to get out of bed and have a productive day. But, there is something you can do about it! Whether your after-workout pain is caused by injury, lactic acid buildup, or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), there are a few easy steps you can take to prevent it. Here’s how.
Don’t Skip the Warm-Up
By adequately warming up your muscles, you can prevent both injuries and after-workout pain. Stretching is good, but to safely, deeply stretch, warm your body up first. You can do a gentle, active warm-up, like walking or riding an exercise bike for a few minutes to get your blood pumping. Twenty minutes in a hot tub or sauna is also great before a workout. The heat penetrates deep into your muscles and joints, making them more pliable so you can both stretch and workout safely.
Hydrate
Not only is hydration important before and during your workout to help your body perform at the top of your game, but it’s equally important after exercising. Hydrating helps break up and flush out any lactic acid that has built-up and will help you recover faster.
Brave an Ice Bath
There’s a good reason professional athletes’ locker rooms include ice baths. Immersing in cold water (at a temperature of 59°F or lower) can reduce inflammation and help you avoid soreness.
Enjoy a Nice Long Hot Tub Soak
You may be tempted to hop in the hot tub immediately after your workout, but we recommend you wait for a couple of reasons. First, you need to rehydrate after exercising and the hot water inhibits that. Secondly, it’s actually later, when DOMS has set in, that you’ll see the best results. Your hot tub provides moist heat that reaches deep into muscles to ease the pain. It increases oxygen-rich blood flow, which speeds recovery. And the jets can target painful zones to give you some immediate relief. You may walk slowly and painfully to the hot tub, but you’ll emerge feeling rejuvenated and strong!
When it comes to working out and living a fit life, a hot tub helps in many ways, including easing muscle pain. If you’d like to tap into all those benefits for yourself, let Backyard Oasis help you find a great hot tub of your own!
