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Whether you have stepped up your exercise regime or just had a busy few days, you might be feeling it in your muscles. Muscle ache after exercise, particularly for a day or two after exertion, is quite normal and is known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It can affect anybody, irrespective of fitness levels, but the good news is that there are things you can do to help ease the pain and stiffness. If you are looking for information on how to get rid of muscle aches you have come to the right place as we will now outline some techniques and tips you can try to make yourself more comfortable.
Keep your body moving
This is probably the most important thing as suddenly becoming too sedentary after over exertion can cause your muscles to seize up. It’s a better approach to keep moving, but do so carefully and gradually so as not to exacerbate the aches and pains. Try some simple stretches, go for a walk or take a swim, but remember to also take time to rest and recover.
Apply an ice pack
An ice pack applied carefully to the affected area for a few minutes at a time can help to prevent any swelling. Conversely, applying heat, through a warm towel or heat pad can stimulate blood flow to the muscles and help alleviate tightness.
Keep hydrated
After a workout, fluid is definitely your friend. Damaged muscles need to be flushed and the best way to do this is by drinking plenty of water. A general rule of thumb is that you need around 8 ounces of water for every 15 to 30 minutes of exercise you do.
Warm up and cool down
When you’re feeling ready to push yourself again it’s important to remember to warm up before you exercise and cool down at the end of your routine to help prevent injury. You might think it adds unnecessary time to your workout but your muscles and joints will definitely thank you for it afterwards!
Try a muscle pain relief gel
A massage can help to relieve muscle ache after exercise. Applying pressure to the knotted muscles encourages blood to flow to the area which can help speed up recovery. If you use a muscle pain relief gel to massage into the skin, this can further aid your recovery by soothing soreness and relieving aches and pains. Choose a pain relief gel that has natural ingredients that are known for their anti-inflammatory and relaxing properties. Extracts to look out for include hemp, rosemary, menthol, eucalyptus, turmeric, caffeine and arnica.
It’s natural to experience some muscle aches and soreness when you’re new to exercise, or have increased the intensity of your workout but don’t let delayed onset muscle soreness put you off. Over time, as your body becomes accustomed to more activity, your muscles will adapt and you’ll find the soreness less intense and easier to recover from. That said, if you are still experiencing aches and pains 5 days after the increased activity, or the pain is getting worse you may have injured yourself. Typical signs of injury to look out for include swelling, bruising and stiffness. Mostly this can be treated at home with rest, ice and over the counter painkillers.
5kind is an online retailer of natural clinical skincare products including muscle pain relief gel which can be used to help alleviate muscle ache after exercise.