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Sore Muscles? Treat Them to a Spot of Tea

FitSugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:00:00 -0700

For those days when you really went hard at the gym, reward yourself by soaking your tired muscles in tea (and no, I am not talking about brewing the world's largest pot of green tea). Cornelia's Muscle Relaxing Soaking Tea ($6.50) is the perfect addition to any post-workout bath. The soak smells oh so good because it contains sea salts combined with herbs such as peppermint, scots pine, willow bark, horsetail, and birch, all which work together to sooth, smooth, and relax an overworked body. And at just under $7, it's a bargain in comparison to how much you'd spend to pamper your muscles at the spa. Buy it online on Cornenlia.com.

Fit Tip: Beat Sore Muscles with Cardio

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:00:00 -0700

One of the best things about lifting weights is the hurts-so-good soreness that you can get afterward; it's also one of the worst things about it. When muscles start hurting, hanging out on the couch chilling and not moving seems like a good idea, but this is one of the worst things you could do. A light aerobic workout can actually help relieve the pain, since moving around will get your blood moving and bring blood to the sore area — new blood helps promote the healing process. In fact, you may even want to think about adding quick bursts of cardio between your lifting sets to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness. So keep moving, your muscles will thank you.

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You Asked: Does Heat Make Sore Muscles Feel Worse?

FitSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:30:00 -0700

You're asking and I'm answering . . .

Dear Fit,
When I have a tough workout at the gym or an intense bike ride, my muscles are so tight and sore. I love to get into a hot shower to relieve my pain, but I read somewhere that heat can make the pain worse. Is this true? Should I take a cool shower instead?
— Sore Savannah

Ahh the age-old question about whether to use heat and ice, that confounds many fitness fanatics. To see what I have to say about this issue

How Do You Deal With Sore Muscles?

FitSugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Feeling sore after a hard workout, makes me feel strong. I'll freely admit, I revel in it. However, if the situation becomes unbearable (like after the first week of boot camp), I'll take a hot bath or get a massage. I've experimented with wrapping my sore muscle in a towel soaked in apple cider vinegar. What about you? Source

How Do You Deal With Sore Muscles?

I don't do anything but grin and bear it.

I soak in the hot bath.

I treat myself to a massage.

I take an over the counter pain medication.

Something else — Tell me below.

You Asked: Will My Muscles Ever Stop Feeling Sore?

FitSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:45:00 -0700

You're asking and I'm answering . . .

"Dear Fit,
I have been working out every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday for over a month now. I take a strenuous yoga class on Mondays, run or swim on Wednesdays, and I lift weights on Saturday mornings. The day after my workouts, my muscles are really sore. I thought this would go away after the first week. Will I ever stop feeling sore?"
—Sore Sally

It's great that you are including cardio, strength training, and flexibility training in your workouts, but since you're doing them all on different days, you're working different muscle groups each time you work out. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but it's the cause of your soreness.

If being sore bothers you, you may want to think about changing how you work out. Instead of doing each type of workout on different days, one option is to try incorporating all three — cardio, flexibility training, and strength training — on each day that you workout. Do 30 minutes of cardio (running, biking, walking, etc.), then do 20 minutes of stretching, and then another 20 minutes of strength training. That way you're using all your muscle groups on each day, which will make them stronger so they'll be less likely to be sore the next day. Another option is to work out more often, instead of skipping days, try to do a little exercise five to seven days a week. If none of this helps, you may be pushing yourself too hard in your workouts, so toning it down a little can help prevent soreness as well.

Source

Home Remedy: Sore Muscles

FitSugar — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 04:00:00 -0800

I had a rather strenuous week at the gym and now my arm muscles are so sore, I can hardly type.

I've scoured the web for a natural remedy (there's only so much Advil a girl can take) and I've come across something from health.com that looks doable so I'm actually going to try it tonight (full disclosure later).

The remedy: Saturate a cloth with apple cider vinegar and wrap it around the muscle for 20 minutes; the pain should disappear within a few hours. Reapply every three to four hours for continued relief until the pain is gone for good.
Why it works: Apple cider vinegar is a muscle reliever; it helps to draw lactic acid (the stuff that causes soreness) out of your muscles after exercise.

My only issue is the smell. Apple cider vinegar sure is potent stuff, so my soaking will happen in the shower. I'm curious if any of you guys have tried something like this? If so, share it below.

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Is It Unhealthy to Be Sore Every Day?

FitSugar — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:30:00 -0800

When I work out, I try to vary my exercise from day to day. Not only does it prevent me from getting bored, but it also gets me to work different muscle groups. When you jump into a new exercise routine or complete a pretty tough workout, you'll probably wake up the next day and be so sore, it hurts to laugh. I love that feeling because it reminds me how hard I worked, but is it unhealthy for your body to be sore every day?

Let's talk about why we get sore in the first place. That feeling is caused by microscopic tears in your muscle fibers, and you can feel the effects 24 to 48 hours after strenuous exercise. As your body repairs the damaged muscles, they become even stronger, which is a good thing. A little minor soreness is your body's way of letting you know that your muscles are adapting to your fitness routine. It's completely normal to feel sore even if it's every day, but if you're feeling severe pain, you may have an injury, so it's best to get that checked by a doctor.

If you know it's just soreness that you feel, it's definitely okay to still work out. Listen to your body though. If you're hurting too much to walk normally, then you should probably skip the run today and give your muscles a chance to heal. You can still work out, but do some gentle walking, take a yoga class, or focus on working other muscle groups instead. Working sore muscles can actually make them feel better because it brings blood to those areas, which helps promote healing.

Fit's Tips: If the pain is really bad, get a massage or take an OTC anti-inflammatory and skip the gym.

Ease Sore Muscles After a Day on the Mountain

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 02:30:00 -0800

Ski season is just kicking into gear, and the first day on the mountain might leave you exhilarated, but sore. Very sore! You went skiing. Here are a few suggestions of ways to ease the aprés ski pain:

If you have access to a hot tub, take full advantage and sit in it for about 20 minutes. If you don't have that luxury, a hot bath or shower feels amazing too. You can also apply a heating bad to tight muscles. Heat brings blood to the area, which helps loosen the tissue so your muscles can relax.

Massage tight areas or better yet, pay a professional or have a kind friend do it for you.

Don't just sit there. Try to stretch your tight quads, hamstrings, hips, lower back, calves and anywhere else you feel tight. Doing light exercise like walking may help to ease aches too.

If a certain area is extremely swollen, or you have a chronic injury such as knee pain or a pulled hamstring, place an ice pack on the area for no more than 20 minutes. It'll reduce swollen tissue and numb the pain.
If you're really in bad shape, don't be afraid to pop some OTC meds such as Ibuprofen. It'll help reduce swelling and soreness.

Fit's Tips: If you're just starting out the season skiing or snowboarding, take it easy. Start off with a few half days to get your body used to it, and when you're ready, go for the full days.

Source

Ease Sore Muscles with Cherry Juice

FitSugar — Thu, 03 May 2007 11:45:00 -0700

Cherry juice has long been know for its tartness but what about for its pain relief?

Research out of the University of Vermont found that drinking a bottle of the cherry juice blend twice a day for three days before exercise and for four days afterwards eased muscle soreness compared to those who did not drink the juice blend. So if your favorite excuse for not working out is getting sore, stop your complaining and invest in some cherry juice or yummy fresh cherries (my favorite).

Ease Sore Muscles with The Stick

FitSugar — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Got enough muscle soreness to complain but not enough extra cash to be able to afford a masseuse?

You may want to try The Stick. The Stick is a great product to help anyone ease muscle soreness on your own. It has been tested to prevent & predict muscle injuries, prepare muscles for physical activity, disperse the effects of lactic acid (the initial burn while lifting) following activity and accelerate muscle recovery. The Stick is simply a rod that is surrounded by spindles, which are then rolled independently over the muscle. This allows people to self-perform general massage procedures with a higher degree of precision than normal.

Basically there are all these really scientific and biomechanical reasons why you should use the stick but in an effort to save you from boredom, consider this: After (or before) a good workout, it just feels really, really good. The most popular model is the Original Body Stick ($34.95) because it's 24" length and has 15 working spindles that can address most muscle groups with ease. Buy it and other models directly from TheStick.com.

After You Work Out, Do You Like Feeling Sore?

FitSugar — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 08:30:00 -0800

After You Work Out, Do You Like Feeling Sore?

Yes, I love it. There's nothing like feeling muscles I never knew I had.

Sometimes it's cool, like when it hurts to laugh.

No, I hate when I'm so stiff I can't even brush my hair.

What are you talking about? I work out daily and never feel sore.

Oh wait - I don't even exercise so how could I be sore?